Absolute Beginners
by malfoy lea
Summary: When Hermione wakes up with a grumpy doctor wearing a strange uniform hovering over her, she realizes one of her time experiments must have failed dramatically.
1. Chapter 1

The first thing Hermione Granger noticed was a beeping noise on her left. Then she felt the pain. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. It hurt as if her whole body had been pressed through a pipe, a feeling similarly to what she experienced after apparating, but incredibly worse. Her body ached, and every cell of it hurt as had it been moved and relocated and finally been put in the original place again.

„She's human, but there's something strange about her brain and body impulses," a voice said. She would have jumped had she been able to move. Where was she?

"Anyway, it shouldn't have any impact on her physical strength, and since she was heavily injured, she shouldn't be immortal as well, but after the incident with Khan I'd be careful with that. There's a weird flow of energy through her body, but the instruments can't detect where it comes from or what it does."

"Do you think she poses a threat for the ship, Doctor?"

"I'm no judge of that, Spock."

There was a sigh.

"Well, it seems we have to wait until she wakes up."

She heard footsteps and wanted to give a sign, something to show that she had heard the voices and was awake. Or was she? Maybe it was all a dream.

"And, Jim?"

"Yes?"

"There was a piece of wood in her pocket. I don't know the purpose of it, but it's beautifully carved, and filled with yet another strange material. It's been handled with care, although it seems to be several years old. I gave it to the science department, but told them not to destroy it, as maybe it has a religious value to her."

"Fascinating. I will immediately go to the laboratory and investigate it myself."

Her wand! Hermione wanted to yell. What were they doing with her wand? If they broke it, she wouldn't care about the consequences. She would hunt the responsible person down. Also, now she felt even more lost. Unable to move and without her wand, Hermione Granger was helpless. And she hated being helpless.

"Thanks, Bones. Comm me if something happens."

The whooshing sound of an automatic door followed.

"What have you gotten yourself into, girl?" The first voice asked again. It was weary. Hermione didn't know who he was, but he didn't sound hostile, and she tried to calm herself down. They wouldn't hurt an innocent patient, would they?

oOoOoOo

Two days passed until the girl opened her eyes. Leonard McCoy spent them in the sickbay. The Enterprise attracted disasters like nothing else, but even in the rare moments when they didn't fight some intergalactical creatures or Klingons, people found a way to hurt themselves.

There were security officers who accidentally stunned themselves with their phasers, engineers who didn't secure themselves properly and fell down a machine, science officers who touched their own toxic plants, and, of course, the captain himself, who came to sickbay at least once a day because of a cut, a broken nose, stunners, an allergic reaction or something else. Sometimes Leonard McCoy wondered how the ship was even able to function. However, on days when he had slept enough and only one or two emergency operations, he realized that not the whole crew was incompetent, but he always saw them at their worst. Hundreds of redshirts worked on the engines, but only a few came to sickbay each day. So that was a good ratio. Nevertheless, being the Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise wasn't a fun job. And that his office also contained a bed wasn't a luxury, but a simple necessity. If it would go his way, none of his patients would ever die, and he did everything to make sure they were alright. And he wouldn't let this girl die, he would stay in sickbay until she finally awoke.

So when he crouched out of his office in the morning, desperately clutching his cup of coffee, it was an understatement to say that she freaked him out for a few seconds.

"Good morning, Doctor McCoy," she said.

Leonard controlled his facial expression. After all, Jim had told him that even when he panicked, his face would just become even grumpier. He trusted Jim on that. Hopefully she hadn't seen his surprise.

She looked tired, but healthy. Her eyes were of a soft brown and her hair was a frizzy mess of curls. She was young, that much was true, but he couldn't decide how old. Seventeen? A lot of sleep and the absence of make-up often let women look way younger than they were. Twenty-five? Her skin was fair and there were no lines on her face. But there was something in her eyes that unsettled him. Although they were warm, there was darkness behind them. Maybe she was dangerous? Definitely over twenty, then.

"Where am I?" She asked, and although she tried to fight it, she looked lost. Leonard knew he should call Jim. But she was first and foremost his patient, and Jim could be overbearing and simply too much at times… and Spock would accompany him, as always. Ten minutes of talking wouldn't hurt. He was more than curious.

"Good morning, miss…?" He asked and sat down next to her, taking a sip from his cup. Her eyes greedily went to it. Obviously a coffee consumer, then. He grinned internally.

"Hermione Granger," she coughed. Her throat wasn't used to speaking yet. "Where am I? I will tell you as much as I can if you do the same. I promise to be no threat to anyone."

She tried to sit up, but her arms gave in. Leonard raised his eyebrows.

"Slow down a bit, missy. I'm your doctor, and I order you to lie down and rest."

"I guessed that much," she murmured. Not intimidated a bit, was she? Was that a proof for stupidity, or maturity?

"I woke up two days ago. I could hear your conversations, but was unable to move. I gathered that you work as a doctor, and your name is Leonard McCoy, there's someone you call Jim…"

For a moment it looked like she had lost the thread.

"...but a third man calls him "Captain", although I don't know why. The third man's name is Mr Spock, and at times he does seem to be a little bit… cold. And you tend to call him various insults. There are a few women and men in here, doctors and nurses, I guess. Am I in the infirmary? This certainly does not look like St. Mungos."

She sharply closed her mouth. Leonard didn't let it show that he found it a little bit creepy that she had been overhearing him all the time, especially when he called Spock names. And she remembered it, dammit! But what was St. Mungos?

He would find out in time, he guessed. First, he would give her an overview of the situation.

"You had most of it right, Miss Granger." Or had it been Ginger? He never remembered names, but since she didn't show any bad reactions to how he had called her, he guessed he must have been right.

"I'm Doctor Leonard McCoy, the Chief Medical Officer on this ship. You are aboard the USS Enterprise, which is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Commander Spock is his first officer. We are on a five year mission through space, although surely you heard about us, the program is fairly famous within the Federation. We just departed from Yorktown, and an engineer found you behind our impulse generators three days ago, so I'm at kind of a loss what exactly you do on our ship, lady."

He noted how her eyes went bigger and bigger.

"Starship?" she croaked. And then she laughed, loudly.

"George, is that you? Are you playing a prank on me? Come on, Ron, or Harry, leave it be. I'm sorry if I scared you. Something went wrong with my experiment, but you shocked me, and I'm awake now, so please come out."

She continued laughing, and Leonard seriously considered using a hypospray on her.

"I'm a doctor, dammit," he said.

"I don't believe you," she gasped between laughter. Was she crazy? Suddenly Leonard regretted giving the order of taking care of her piece of wood, maybe she was just mentally ill. However, the best way to cope with crazy people was to make them believe that he took them seriously.

"How can I proof that I'm indeed the CMO and not… the person you named earlier?" He asked. Dammit. Torch? Gorgeous? Korbes? Forbes?

"Just wait and sit there, George," she said. Ah, good she repeated that. "The potion can't hold for much longer. Half an hour, at the longest. How did you get it, by the way? I thought I was the only one in the family who can brew it."

McCoy internally sighed. Hermione Granger was obviously confused. But he agreed to sit and wait. After a few minutes she calmed down, and they sat in silence.

"May I have a cup of tea? I guess it's too soon for coffee for me." Leonard liked his patients when they knew what was good for their body. Sadly, this phenomenon could very rarely be observed on the Enterprise. He went to the replicator, ordered herbal tea and brought it to her. She watched him closely as she sipped her drink. He didn't feel well under her scrutiny. He didn't know what she wanted to find, but her earlier glee left her.

"You are not George," she finally said in a flat voice. Leonard started to hope he could call Jim now. "George wouldn't be able to sit that long in silence without making a joke. So where am I really?" And then, she began to murmur. "May I have a paper?"

Perplexed, Leonard gave her a PADD. She looked at it, puzzled, and he realized that she acted like she had never had seen something like that. However, a PADD wasn't difficult to handle. She found out how to use it and took the pencil to draw calculations. Leonard watched her.

Ten minutes later she looked up.

"WHEN am I?"

oOoOoOo

AN: Since I love both Star Trek and Harry Potter immensely, and have just discovered the wonderful world of crossovers, it was only logical for me to try this one out. I'm just doing this for my own fun, and it was a lot of fun imagining Hermione on a starship. If you like it, please leave a comment- you know where the button is. Love, leo :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Jim, she has woken up. But she is… she mistook me for a friend of hers, and I don't know what to make of her." Forge? Something with torch!

"I'll be there in a second." Leonard heard Jim call for Spock over the communicator.

"Kirk out."

Leonard leant against the wall of his office. After he had told Ginger the Stardate and their coordinates, she had gone silent again and begun to wildly scribble on her PADD. Maybe the kid would get more useful information out of her.

Moments later Jim rushed into Sickbay, followed by Spock. The girl looked up.

"I'm Captain Kirk, and this is Commander Spock," he greeted her. Her eyes went up and down the captain's body, and Leonard suppressed the urge to laugh. Or maybe cry. However unstable the women were, they always fell for the captain. And of course, Jim had to take advantage of his good looks and only wear really slim shirts. Idiot.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "I always imagined captains being older. You're younger than I expected."

Jim grinned and Leonard groaned.

"Miss, I can promise that this body can do more than just looking good," the captain said with a wink. Leonard felt the urge to intervene.

"Cut it, Jim, or I'm going to puke."

Commander Spock ignored them and addressed the girl directly.

"I will ask you a few questions if this is alright with you."

She nodded.

"Of course, Mr Spock."

Spock took his stance and started:

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger, as I already told Doctor McCoy."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Are you human?"

"Ehm, yes?"

Spock ignored her perplexed face.

"How did you get on the Enterprise?"

"I don't know."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Do not lie to me."

She frowned at him.

"I am not a liar, mister! One moment I was standing in my lab, preparing a test run of… nevermind. And in the next moment, my body hurts like hell and I'm lying in this… sort of weird medical bed."

There was a pause where Spock and the girl eyed each other suspiciously. At least Leonard thought they did, Spock was always hard to read. His face was blank. Hers showed most of her emotions. It was something Leonard could get used to.

"Fascinating," Spock said after a while. "May I ask what your field of research was?"

The girl ignored him and talked directly to Jim. She had some courage, did she? Leonard mused.

"Can I get my wand back?"

Kirk glanced at Spock.

"First I would like you to answer Mr Spock's question," he said.

She glared at him and sat up in bed, not being really intimidating, the scrap of a girl she was. However, there was fire in her gaze and something that warned Leonard to push her. Except for the obvious health risks that pushing her would bring with it. He didn't want to overstrain her heart.

"I don't have any reason to trust you," she said. "And I haven't fought through two bloody wars just to be kidnapped afterwards. So excuse me, sirs, that until I am sure that you are speaking the truth I will not share the purpose of my research with you."

Spock opened his mouth.

"Oh just shut your mouth!" Granger said. "What did you do to your eyebrows, anyways?" If Leonard hadn't been that concerned by the turn of action, he would have laughed. Her question distracted Spock and he kept quiet.

"My research doesn't have anything to do with you, and if this all is really happening, it was just an unfortunate accident. So, if you are the decent people you want me be to believe you are, why don't you just let me go and give me my wand back? Or do I need to get it on my own?"

She managed to put her legs over the side of the biobed before Leonard awoke from his stunned paralysis. Then his inner doctor kicked in.

"Lady, immediately go back under these blankets again."

"If I only-"

"Dammit, girl!" he barked. "You just woke up from a coma, so I don't care how tough or crazy you are, you will get back in the bed now, drink your tea and rest!"

Granger, yep, that was the name! Granger clearly didn't approve, but his tactics of intimidation seemed to work at least a little bit.

"Fine," she huffed, and Leonard had to turn away so she couldn't see his amusement- or happy little victory grin, he was only human, after all.

"Fine," he confirmed.

oOoOoOo

They went to his office.

"There is a chance of 95 percent that she is lying," Spock said as soon as the door closed behind them. "I'm not familiar with any fields of research that would accidentally drop her on a starship on warp."

"We're in space, Spock," Jim sighed. "Anything is possible. And I don't think she lied to us. Obviously, she didn't tell us much, but I believe that what she told is the truth. "

Leonard could tell that Spock disagreed, but as always, the first officer remained in dignified silence.

"Maybe she's a stowaway. However, it could be possible that her brain impulses have something to do with a loss of memory, or false memory. It's not necessary that she's lying if she simply doesn't remember sneaking on the ship," Leonard said. He still hadn't figured out what was wrong with her head, and it bugged him. It wasn't even some alien disease, no, the girl was a normal human being, and he couldn't find the cause. Sometimes he felt pretty useless as a doctor. Also, if she just had lost her memory, she could be sane after all, and he would like that.

Jim sighed and rubbed his head. He looked tired.

"Be that as it may, we have to test our security system for loopholes. I don't like the prospect of spies getting this easily on the ship. Even if she isn't one."

"She mentioned that she fought in wars," Spock stated.

Leonard really started to suspect that Kirk hadn't eaten breakfast. The kid did things to his nervous system!

"Wars are fought everywhere. It's the universe, if her war didn't happen to take place within the Federation, it's highly likely we never heard of it."

"But she's human, captain."

Jim threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I don't know more than you, Spock! We have to show her that she can trust us, and then she will tell us more. But until then, I want her to stay in sickbay, and if she's healthy enough, she can move to one of the engineer's quarters on deck four . However, she is not to leave either sickbay or her quarters until she opens up. And now I want to see that mysterious wooden stick, Spock."

Leonard decided that this would be as far as they would get.

"I don't think so, Jim," he said. "We are going to the mess hall."

Captain Kirk rolled his eyes. "Come on, Bones! I just want-"

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"… no."

"Well, then you're coming with me. You're not starving yourself to death as long you're under my care, kid. Bye, Spock!"

"Doctor," Spock nodded.

"Bones, you're evil! I have things to do!" The captain complained. Leonard was sure that there was a gleam of amusement in Spock's eyes.

"Jim, if I was evil, I would tell you now that your physicals are long overdue. When did you plan to get it done?"

The captain of the ship groaned. "You can't be serious, Bones. The last one was in… hm…"

"See, come to the mess hall with me, I will watch while you're eating an apple, and I will drop the subject… until tomorrow."

Jim left Leonard's office. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ehm, Bones?"

"My name is McCoy, idiot," Leonard murmured affectionately, until he saw what Jim meant.

Hermione Granger's bed was empty.

"Dammit!" He cursed.

oOoOoO

AN: A big thanks to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed this story! I didn't expect that. So here's the next chapter. I still love Bones, Hermione, Kirk and Spock to nuts, at the moment in this exact order. Have fun, and I appreciate any sign of life I receive (you get what I mean).


	3. Chapter 3

If there was one thing Hermione had learnt during the last years, it was that you had to take advantage of every chance you got. Lying around, depending on other people wasn't really her style. It could be that these people were trustworthy, although the so-called Mr Spock had been a little weird and the captain a little too flirty. And the doctor seemed to care for his patients. But on the other hand, they could decide that she was unnecessary and kill her.

So when the door shut behind them and there was no one else in the room, Hermione slipped out of her bed. She shivered when her naked feet touched the cold floor. Before anyone noticed, she slipped out of the door.

Well, this certainly wasn't one of George's pranks. The corridor was white, and strangely dressed people populated it. They did nothing to stop her. Were they used to women sneaking out of the infirmary? And why did that creature have a mask on its face? She decided to turn right. She had no clue where she was, but one had to start somewhere.

After a few minutes she passed an elevator. Why not? She slipped inside the modern glass thing and stared at the many buttons. Three men, two dressed in red and one in blue, entered after her and pressed where they wanted to go. They ignored Hermione.

She needed to think. Mr Spock had also worn blue, and he had said he would go to the science department to investigate her wand himself. Maybe he was a scientist. She shuddered at the thought of her most precious possession being in the hands of strangers. Firstly, she would try to get it back.

When the man dressed in blue left the elevator, she followed him. There were more people here, and everywhere were glass windows and modern machines. They stared at her, and she realized that breaking free in her hospital gown hadn't been the best idea. She broke in a slow jog.

This starship was a maze. Hermione lost herself in the long white corridors within five minutes, and her head started to pound. Sometimes she swayed. Suddenly, there was a shout behind her, and men in red shirts spilled out of the next elevator, pointing on her. They had gun-like things in their hands, and Hermione started to run.

There was no escape. She tried to enter one of the labs, but it had a hand scan on it that wouldn't let her in, so she tried the next door. Hermione started to sweat and pant, and the shouts behind her were getting louder. Dots danced before her eyes, and she had to lean against the wall to maintain her balance. When she continued, a woman in red came towards her.

The woman shot Hermione, and everything went dark.

oOoOoOo

"That was a very dumb idea, Granger," Doctor McCoy said next to her.

Being addressed like that brought back the memories of dungeons and the smell of mysterious fumes. Yes, the doctor sounded a lot like Professor Snape, but instead of being spiteful, he was grumpy. And annoyed. Hermione opened her eyes. She was in the infirmary again. Shit.

"I guess you're right, doctor," she said, a flush coming to her cheeks. "I panicked."

When she tried to move, she realized that her hands had been cuffed to the bed. She sighed in resignation.

"You know, it would be easier for us to trust you if you didn't run away the very first minute we leave you on your own," the doctor scoffed.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. She was alive. They hadn't killed her. That meant that the culture she had landed in had moral standards which protected her to a certain degree from being harmed by these people. Everything was fine.

oOoOoOo

The doctor left the room when yelling was heard, and Hermione was able catch a glance at a bloodied redshirt before the door closed after him. Her head still hurt, but she wasn't tired. Staring at the ceiling she counted the seconds.

She had worked in the department of mysteries for two years. The first year she had spent restoring the chamber of time, which she and her classmates had destroyed in their fifth year. She had worked in team with her new colleagues, and it had been a wonderful experience. They were swots and nerds like her, but what they were forbid to say to outsiders, they compensated by socialising within the compartment. Although neither Harry nor Ron understood her, she had felt at home there. Kingsley had offered her a post back then, saying she could change the wizarding world more efficiently if she didn't do secret researches hidden from the rest of the world. But she had had enough of trying, changing and fighting, and she had always been a scholar. Working in the department of mysteries was hardly boring. Also, Ron was a professional Quidditch player now, so why should she work her ass off for Kingsley when there was already a job that fascinated her? She had done enough for them. She wanted peace.

Nearly all time-turners had been destroyed, and Hermione had worked on other ways to change time, letting things happen faster or slower, creating a hole in time or even time travelling. Her last experiment was about placing objects in the future or the past, because the arithmancy was far too complicated and unreliable to work with humans yet. The last thing she remembered was Kilian, coming to her station to ask how it went. He was as clumsy as one could be. Had he spilled something? She really didn't know what happened. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had woken up on a starship, more than two hundred years in the future. It was awful.

Hermione Granger did not always fuck things up, but when she did, she did it completely.

oOoOoOo

Time went by and she grew bored. The adrenaline left her body, and she was left with a burning curiosity for the place and time she had landed in. Even in school she had hated the times when an adventure had ended and she was forced to stay in bed for recovery. Of all the places she could have landed, the magic had dropped her on a starship! It was fascinating. And she had put these people on a test, if unwillingly, and they hadn't hurt her.

A nurse came in to check on her.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked. "Do you have anything to read for me?"

The nurse was indecisive. "I have to speak with the doctor," she said, and Hermione sighed.

But a few moments later she came back with a heap of these tablets on her arms and dropped them on Hermione's bed.

"This should be enough for a while," she said and smiled at Hermione. Hermione smiled right back. "Thank you. What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm nurse Flyer," the woman said as she left the room. "Feel free to call me if you need something." Hermione was glad that she knew someone whom she hadn't affronted in the first five minutes.

With her feet, she then tried to push one of the tablets towards her. It worked. With her limited space for moving her hands, it was somewhat difficult to read, but she managed it. She looked at the screen: "The Federation: A History". Well, if that didn't sound familiar. With a happy little grin, she started reading.

oOoOoOo

At the end of his shift, Leonard McCoy checked on his patient/prisoner. He hadn't seen her since morning. He had ordered nurse Flyer to look after her from time to time and bring her food, and thus had forgotten her for a few hours. Sickbay was a madhouse. He passed nurse Zweca while the man was cleaning the instruments, noticing a few drops of blood on the floor.

In Granger's room, it was peacefully quiet. He looked at her sleeping form and had to grin. PADDs were shattered all over the bed; some of them had fallen down. He picked them up and laid them on the bedside table. Except for her breakout, she had been very compliant today, and maybe he would speak with Jim about the handcuffs. It was a little bit too archaic for his taste.

Leonard McCoy inspected her scans and readings and was satisfied that everything was in order. Then he quietly retreated and went to his own quarters. It had been a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning, Doctor McCoy!" Granger greeted him with a smile. He clenched his teeth. Why did she grin at him like that? He must be losing his touch, because as far as he remembered, he had only barked at her. Also, he hadn't had his first cup of coffee yet.

"Morning, Granger," he mumbled. That seemed to amuse her even more. Oh, he craved for some coffee. Spock had told him that Jim had worked late last night and hadn't shown up for breakfast today. When he saw the kid, he would shove a lot of vitamins down his throat! No, he didn't feel bad about the fact that he monitored the eating habits of his captain as best as he could, and of course the green blooded bastard thought Leonard had just wanted to make a little small talk. However, it didn't change the fact that the captain couldn't properly look after himself. And that Leonard was tired.

"I feel good today. Do you know what they plan to do with me once you declare me for healthy?"

"You get to stay at one of the engineer's quarters," he murmured absently while he checked the machines. Except for the energy flow, everything was alright. It seemed to become stronger. He would keep her in sickbay for as long as possible.

"Well, Doctor McCoy," He realized that he liked her tendency to call him by his proper name.

Jim was an annoying kid. Even his staff called him "Bones" from time to time by now, but not without consequences. He had the suspicion that sometimes, they just wanted to rile him up. But not Granger - there was no "Bones here, Bones there".

"will you possibly have a few minutes left for me today?"

He looked at her. What did she want from him?

"You see, I have read all these… PADDs yesterday, but there's only so much you can learn through reading. I offer you a deal. Do you play chess?"

Leonard groaned internally. Once she found out that Jim loved to play chess, she would like the idiot even more. He decided not to mention it.

"Not really, Miss. I'm more of a poker player. Anyways, I don't think I have time to spare."

Granger thought about it.

"Well, that's unfortunate, but if you have time, I'd be happy to play with you."

That sounded awfully wrong.

"And what's the catch?" He eyed her suspiciously. He didn't want to socialize unless it was necessary, and sadly Jim always dragged him along to some diplomatic missions, which he usually spent quietly, sipping on a drink and secretly worrying about the kid. The captain never made it out of one of those mission without a fight. The most remarkable thing about it was, that half of the time Jim didn't even initialize the crisis. Be that as it may, as a result Leonard always had to patch him up, and a various number of crew members with him.

Consequently, he hated social gatherings.

"No catch," she said.

He didn't believe her and left the room without a further word.

oOoOoOo

Hermione didn't see the doctor for the rest of the day. Nurse Flyer kindly left the door a little bit open so that she could at least see what was going on in the main sector of the sickbay, as the infirmary was called here. One or two hours after her talk with the doctor, a loud alarm shook the whole ship, and red lights started to blink. Hermione hoped it was a regular thing to happen on the Enterprise, but the nurses' faces were grim and determined, so she got a little bit worried. The alarm didn't hold on for too long, however, and then nothing happened for a long time. After the first minutes of relief that nothing bad had taken place, she grew bored again.

When another nurse brought her lunch, he carried a little animal in his hands. It was fluffy and reminded Hermione of George's Pygmy Puffs, but with a more natural fur color. It purred and she was fascinated. "May I touch it?" She asked, and the nurse handed her the thing.

"It's a Tribble," he said. "Lieutenant Uhura brought one on board. If you want, you can keep it. I'll just get another one for myself." Hermione beamed at him and took the little thing.

The fur was as soft as Crookshanks', but she couldn't spot eyes or a mouth. It snuggled to her chest and purred, and Hermione was sure that she had never seen anything as cute as this little animal. Maybe the Enterprise wasn't that bad after all. The PADDs had told her that the spaceship was part of a huge organization, which goals were to maintain peace and discover new worlds.

She fed the Tribble with bred from her lunch, and it had an enormous appetite. She grinned. It reminded her a little bit of Ron, eating nearly as much as it weighed altogether. Hermione grabbed "Federation's History" and began to read it for a second time.

She looked down to where the Tribble had gone silent next to her, and yelped in surprise. Instead of one of these fluffy little beings, there were at least seven of them on her lap! How had they done that? Oh my, they were adorable. She just hoped the doctor wouldn't be too mad.

As if by magic, at this very moment Doctor McCoy stuck his head through the door.

"Ah, Granger, I see that you got Tribbles, too," he said. "They're procreating way too fast, and we haven't been able to find out how yet. May I have one?"

She nodded and he took one from her lap, brushing her arm in the process. Hermione felt a flush come to her cheeks, but the doctor didn't seem to notice, inspecting the little animal.

"Damned things. Gives me a headache not knowing what they are," he grumbled, but she noticed that he held the Tribble very tenderly in his hands and even petted it a little bit.

"I'll keep it," he announced. "for research purposes."

"Of course," Hermione said solemnly.

The doctor left again, busy with stroking his new pet, and Hermione realized he hadn't even looked at the machines. She shrugged.

oOoOoOo

When she had finished the PADD again, the Tribbles in her bed had reached a population of twenty-seven, and Hermione began to worry. Then shouts were heard through the door and she tried to find out what was up. She saw more than twelve men in different shirt colors, all looking as they had been in a fight. Judging by the guilty expression on their faces, they maybe had been.

The captain strolled in after them, having an exasperated look on his face. Hermione nearly giggled. Then he saw all the Tribbles that inhabited the sickbay by now - apparently Hermione hadn't been the only one to breed them - and his face went dark.

"I want them OFF my ship!" He barked, and the staff around him did its best to look busy. Somehow he had managed to get a cut on his forehead, and after the CMO treated him, he grimly left the sickbay in fast steps.

Then another bunch of injured crewmen were brought in and Hermione couldn't make sense of what she saw. Whatever happened, there was a lot of running around involved.

When order slowly began to replace the chaos, Doctor McCoy jogged in, closed the door after him, locked it by typing in a code, and leant against it.

"Bumbling idiots, all of them," he groaned. He reached into his pocket for a pill and swallowed it.

"Poker?" She asked carefully. He looked as if he could use a little bit of sleep, and as if he hadn't eaten for a very long time.

"Help yourself," she said and wriggled her toes in the general direction of her leftovers. He shot her a surprised gaze. His eyes were really blue. And once you oversaw the lines in his face and the grumpy expression, he could be called handsome. A handsome doctor. The best that could have happened to her, really.

"I hate shore leave," he announced as he came over and reached for the soup she hadn't eaten. "And Deep Space Station K7 is even worse, 'cause it's not even a planet. And of course those damned Klingons have to show up and our dumb engineers can't take any insults against the Enterprise. Ain't no better way to spend the day than patching up these idiots. Just wonderful. And the Tribbles just don't stop reproducing, they're all over the ship now."

He sighed deeply. By now she kind of knew what Klingons were. They were the Slytherins of the the Universe, so to speak.

"Texas Hold'em?" he suggested.

Hermione nodded. Being friends with Harry and Ron had its perks. Harry had introduced Ron to the game, and he had been hooked from the start. She was crap at bluffing, but she had to try. The doctor produced a deck of cards out of somewhere of his uniform. A keen player - she was screwed. Someone knocked on the door, but they both ignored it.

"If it's really urgent, Jim will override the codes of the lock. And my Assistant CMO is out there, so no one will die in my absence. Hopefully."

"If I win, you'll open my right handcuff so I have at least one free hand. I promise I will stay in bed this time."

Doctor Leonard McCoy raised his eyebrows.

"Not bad. And what do I get if I win?"

"I don't think I have anything of interest to you," Hermione said. She really wanted to free that hand. Please, she prayed, agree.

"Hm… doesn't seem like a good deal for me," Doctor McCoy said. Hermione's shoulders slumped down.

"Although…," he added "I could win a favor from you. Something I want you to do, or not to do, for me."

Hermione met his gaze. She didn't like this. She was an honest person, and if she owed him a favor…

"Nothing too big," she objected.

He smiled a smile that was everything but reassuring.  
"You'll have to trust me on that."

Finally she huffed "fine."

He shook her still bound hand. Playing cards was hard, but that was no excuse for her playing skills. How could the doctor even look that blank and still have this superior look in his eyes? She started to suspect that he could read humans far better than he let show.

She lost dramatically.

"Another round?" He asked.

"No, thanks," she sighed. "That day isn't going as I wished it would. Don't get me wrong, I'm awful in chess also… but now I owe you something and am still bound to that bloody bed."

"Actually…," he said and Hermione looked at him. "I talked with the captain about this in the morning, and he said he would trust my judgment. Technically, I would have freed you hours ago if not for that incident with the Tribbles and the Klingons."

Hermione stared at him, mouth agape.

"You played me!"

She was a little bit angry, but more at herself. Now she owed him a favor, risked for something he would have given her anyway. She was so dumb and trusting.

"Yes," the doctor said. He tipped a code on a screen next to the bed, and Hermione's handcuffs sprung open. She lifted her hands.

"You know, I'm not sure if I want to throttle or hug you right now."

For the first time, Doctor McCoy laughed. Hermione stared. He was so… honest, and open. She had been wrong when she had compared him with Professor Snape. Of course he seemed to carry his own problems with him - the gruff manner and the lines of worry on his face didn't come from nothing. But on the other hand, he didn't hide, and he wasn't afraid to show his feelings. Now she knew why it had felt so weird hearing him insulting Mr Spock: In hindsight, it sounded more like the affectionate banter of friends who strongly denied that they liked each other.

The knocking on the door grew more insistent.

"You're welcome, Miss," he said. "And now I think everything will have calmed down a bit. May I take those Tribbles with me? The captain ordered to clear the starship from those. See ya!"

Arms full with furry balls, he left the room.

oOoOoOo

AN: Thanks for the support :) The story in the background of this chapter is from Star Trek TOS "The Trouble with Tribbles" and it's one of my favorite episodes.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione grew restless. It was her third day after waking up on the starship, and she had an itch for going out and exploring it. After the initial shock and disorientation, she got aware of how lucky she had been. She could have landed in space, and died. But on the other hand, maybe something had called her here. Since the magic in her lab hadn't been sophisticated or strong enough to transport a human two hundred years in the future, it had needed some point of fixation. The Enterprise buzzed with energy, even if it wasn't magical. However, when she looked around she wondered if magic was that big of an advantage still. These hyposprays seemed to achieve wonders.

Sadly she couldn't just hop out of the bed again. Her intentions weren't harmful, but she shouldn't test the crew's patience for a second time. Moreover, it would put doctor McCoy in a bad light, since he was the one who had set her free.

Speaking of the doctor, Hermione would have liked to talk to him again. But today he seemed to be busy, with no minute left for small talk or another round of poker. It was only logical, since he was on duty, but Hermione was bored nevertheless. And when she had nothing to do, her thoughts went to places she didn't want to think about. Who cared for Crookshanks now that she was gone? Did anyone really miss her? And what about her work?

She missed her wand. It was a sign that she had spent too many years in the wizarding society. When she had been young, not using magic during summer hadn't made her feel unwell. Now, she missed the magic flowing through her body only after a few days. It wasn't really that she wanted to do something specific with her magic. By now she had realized that she should avoid being seen when casting spells in public, since she didn't know how the relations between wizards and muggles were in this age. But she simply didn't feel complete without her wand. It made her feel unprepared.

When time dragged on, Hermione decided to train her wandless magic skills. There was a tray of medical instruments near her, and she concentrated on moving one of them. The captain burst through the door and startled her. The needle which had floated in the air quietly fell back on the table.

"Morning! Bones? Have you seen him?"

Hermione glanced to the side. He hadn't noticed, had he?

"Not today," she answered. Then she realized the state in which his shirt was in. "Captain, are you hurt? That looks awful."

He turned around and grinned at her.

"It's just a scratch," he said. Suddenly he didn't seem to be in such a hurry anymore, although blood was seeping through the fabric at his right shoulder.

He came to her bed.

"By any chance, you aren't a nurse or something? There's nothing better than getting treated by a beautiful woman."

Hermione snorted. Since she had woken up from her coma she had only lain around to recover; she hadn't showered for a while and was sure that the sight she gave was anything but stunning. He didn't seem to make fun of her, though. His icy blue eyes – had everyone on this starship such beautiful eyes? – had a mischievous, but completely well-meant glimmer in them.

Hermione knew there was a button next to her left hand which would summon a nurse to her side. When he looked the other way, she secretly activated it.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," she said with a shrug. "I certainly do know something about healing, but… not without my equipment. I suggest you really should be looking for Doctor McCoy now. You're bleeding on my linen."

Captain Kirk raised his eyebrows.

"It's good to see that you're already that used to your new surroundings that you banter with your captain."

Hermione went red. Captain Kirk was right. And out of reflex she had called him by his proper title when he had entered her room. It was weird.

"You know, at first I wasn't delighted that you've broken out, but then I realized that I wouldn't have stayed in bed myself had I been in your place. So, are we fine, mysterious Miss Granger?"

He offered her his hand.

Hermione contemplated the situation. Then she slowly took his hand in a firm grasp and shook it. She hadn't even thought about being friends with someone, but this captain seemed to be a very outgoing person who liked to get along with people. She could do that, too.

"Granger! You called for me, did you hurt yourself? I swear if you-"

Doctor McCoy's loud voice interrupted the moment. Maybe this was good, Hermione mused, because things would have gotten a little awkward between her and the captain then.

The doctor stopped when he spotted the two of them. His eyes went from Hermione to Captain Kirk and back.

"I did," Captain Kirk said lightly. Doctor McCoy's face immediately turned into a frown.

"Come here, kid," he ordered. He grabbed a hypospray from the table and looked puzzled when it wasn't where it had been before. Hermione tried to look unconcerned, but his narrowed eyes directly met hers.

But the doctor didn't have time for such things now. He inspected the captain's wound, ignored his protests and injected a painkiller in his neck before he began to heal it.

"I hate away-missions," he rambled while scanning the injuries with this thing called a tricorder, as Hermione had found out.

"I love them," captain Kirk said happily.

oOoOoOo

"Actually, there's a reason I came to you," Captain Kirk said to Granger. "besides making you uncomfortable with my blood."

Leonard gave the captain's shoulder one last critical look. Everything seemed to be alright.

"I contacted Starfleet Command about the situation on board and their orders are to drop you on the next possible planet with an Earthern embassy on it. However, since we are in uncharted space now, it will take us about a week until we reach such a planet. I don't want to make it harder for you than it already is. So I decided we will head for Brisbane 21. My crew deserves to have some fun once in a while, and Brisbane 21 is perfect for shore leave. Also, if you want, I can help you to find what you need, for example organizing a shuttle back to Earth."

Granger just stared at the captain. Couldn't Jim have said that a little bit… softer? But on the other hand, what had she expected? She didn't belong on the Enterprise. Nevertheless, Granger was obviously shocked. Leonard felt pity.

"Okay," she said after a while. Then, more as if to calm herself, she added: "I will get home and everything will be as it was before again. Somehow." She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and her curls flew around.

When she looked up again, she was collected and calm.

"Captain, if I am to leave your starship, may I get my… wooden stick back?"

Jim nodded.

"I already ordered Spock to bring it, together with new clothes. We can't let you run around in one of Bone's medical gowns!"

"They aren't mine, they are Starfleet issued," Leonard said.

Jim shot him a grin.

"Every time I get near you, you want to put me in one of those."

"Because you're always hurt!"

"Maybe you just like the sight of me in a medical gown."

The captain dared to wink at him and Leonard groaned.

"You're insufferable, kid."

"And you're cranky, Bones."

"My name is Doctor Leonard McCoy," Leonard said but knew that whatever he said had no effect on the captain.

"You're my favorite CMO, Bones, but you always look for a reason to argue,"

"I'm your one and only CMO," Leonard said, deliberately ignoring the fact that he was proving Jim's point as he spoke, but not really caring about it.

The door opened and Spock entered, carrying a long wooden box. An Ensign stood behind him, carrying a pile of clothes.

"Captain, Doctor," Spock nodded. Leonard thought that they met rather frequently in his sickbay.

"Miss Granger. Here's your… stick. It is carved out of vinewood, which originates from Earth. The length is 27.305 cm. If I may ask, what is the material in it? It's thin as a thread, but seems to be organic, and my department is at a loss. And what do you need this artifact for?"

Granger carefully took the box, then looked up to meet Spock's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Leonard knew that she was lying because there was a pitch to her voice which hadn't been there before. She was an abysmal liar. "And I need it because… here in space, it's the only thing that reminds me of the world I come from, that shows that after this adventure, there's still a place for me to go."

This time she sounded sincere, and sad. Leonard had once known what it meant to have a home. Years on a starship made it easy to forget that there was life after this mission. He felt his chest tighten when he saw how precious the box seemed to be for the woman, but still she refused to open it. Over the bed, he met Jim's worried gaze. Leonard inhaled deeply. It was alright. The Enterprise was his home now.

"Bones, I would like to speak in private to you later."

Leonard nodded.

"Just go to my office, Jim, I'll be there in a few minutes."

oOoOoOo

After Jim and Spock had left, Leonard showed Granger the shower hidden behind a panel in the wall. Her expression and the excited squeal she emitted were worth recording.

"I will leave you on your own so you can freshen up,"

He didn't wait for an answer but went for the door. He forcefully banned every image of Granger showering from his mind. Before he left the room, he looked back.

Granger didn't pay him any attention. With shivering fingers she opened Spock's box and carefully took out the wooden stick. Her face was joyful as she cradled it against her chest. The longer she hugged it however, the less it seemed like a happy moment. Then Leonard realized that she was crying.

He silently retreated and the door closed after him.

oOoOoOo

AN: Please tell me what you think - I also really appreciate it if you point out grammatical or spelling errors.  
May your day be blessed with love and nerdiness!


	6. Chapter 6

After Hermione had showered and dressed, she sat back on the bed again. Nobody had told her where to go, and the truth was that she was still shaken from Captain Kirk's news. Of course they would get rid of her; after all, they had a mission. But somehow, after waking up that far away from home, she had hoped to find stability, even if it was on a moving starship.

But Captain Kirk had woken her from her lethargy. She had her wand back, and the captain would help her get a shuttle back to Earth – apparently travelling through the universe was a normal thing to do – she would find a place where she could stay, contact the local wizards and find a way home. Yes, that definitely sounded like a plan.

They had given her a red dress and boots. Surprisingly they both fitted. Absent-mindedly she touched the badge on her uniform. Hermione hoped that she could keep it as a souvenir when she left the Enterprise. It reminded her of her Hogwarts badge, and even her dress was in a Gryffindor color again. The sleeves were long enough to hide her wand. Before she placed it there, she flipped it a few times, enjoying the familiar weight in her hand, and apparated from one end of the room to another. Everything was still there.

To entertain herself, she continued to practice wandless magic. Using magic was great, but without a wand it felt like there was an inner resistance. She had to fully concentrate on everything she wanted to do, for example drying her hair strand by strand. Whispering the spell helped, even if it wasn't as efficient as with her wand.

Eventually Hermione decided to go and search for Doctor McCoy.

She went through the door she knew the rest of the sickbay was behind. Nurses were running around and machines beeped, but fascinatingly, everything seemed to follow a certain order. Twenty or more beds were lined on the wall, only a third of them occupied, but the doors of the main entrance regularly swooshed open to let patients in and out. From the corner of the room, Hermione heard a familiar voice snap.

"Dammit, nurse, just give me that hypo. It doesn't get better the longer you stare at it."

"Yes, doctor."

She spotted him hovering over a scared looking redshirt with a broken nose. Hermione didn't want to disturb him during his work, so she waited in a few step's distance. When he was done and looked up, he noticed her. His grim face didn't change a bit.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ehm…" Hermione said uncertainly. "I thought there was a reason Captain Kirk let them give me normal clothes."

If possible, his face grew even darker.

"There is," he grumbled. "I told him that I wanted to keep you under close observation, but he insisted that if you aren't gravely hurt anymore there's no reason in keeping you here. According to Spock you're still suspicious. Just don't get any dumb ideas like sabotaging the ship, but you aren't able to do that anyways. And it's not like you could escape from the Enterprise. Don't move, you fool!" He scowled at the redshirt, who had made the mistake to try and duck away from the doctor.

"But I'm healed," the man protested.

"You're free to go when I say it and no second sooner!"

"But-"

"Silence! And don't you dare to come here again with a broken nose. Ran against a door, you're making me laugh! More like scuffling with that colleague of yours like every damn time. Idiot."

"Yeah well…" Hermione said.

Doctor McCoy, busy with scowling at his patient, didn't look at her while he grumbled.

"Room 4.415A. Code is the same, as your roommates told me. Imaginative folk they are. Nurse Flyer!"

"Yes, doctor?"

"Accompany Granger to her new quarters and make sure she finds everything she needs."

"Aye, sir."

Nurse Flyer came to Hermione and grinned at her.

"Come with me."

Hermione was hesitant to go but followed the nurse. Before she left, however, she turned back to Doctor McCoy.

"Thanks," she said. "for everything."

He looked up, surprised, and she smiled at him. He may be gruff and have awful bedside manners, but he had cared for her. And she had made him laugh once. She wouldn't forget that.

Then she caught up with Nurse Flyer.

As soon as they left the sickbay, the nurse brightened up.

"So, now that were out of here, do you want me to take you on a tour through the ship? I guess everything must be overwhelming. For me it was, when I first entered the Enterprise. And I need a break, anyway. The CMO is in an unbearable mood today."

"Am I allowed to see the ship?" Hermione asked.

"Well," nurse Flyer said. "Nobody told me it would be forbidden. So I think we'll take a few liberties and just go."

Hermione grinned. As much as she used to follow rules, she didn't do predisposed obedience. And she needed to get her mind off the uncertainties that awaited her once she was off the starship.

oOoOoOo

Hermione could only stare and wonder. The ship was huge. Nurse Flyer skipped the bridge: "That's only for the high officers. I know the bridge from my welcome tour more than two years ago, but I've never been called there since." They stopped at the laboratories, which Hermione had already paid a short visit, but this time she wasn't in a hurry. She had only seen a glimpse of the technology back then. Dozens of blueshirts populated the laboratories, and in fact the science department extended over more than two floors. It was, indeed, overwhelming. Then they went to the elevator and Flyer pressed another button. Hermione was more and more impressed by how easy it was for the nurse to find her way. They left the elevator, standing on a metal grid.

"Welcome to engineering," Flyer said.

"Down there are the briefing rooms and Scotty's office. Scotty is in charge of engineering, and if you ever meet him, don't say anything bad about the Enterprise. He loves the ship more than anything."

They passed rooms with people staring at holograms, typing mysterious equations into their computers. And then they went around a corner and whole engineering spread out before them. On every floor redshirts were working on machines. There was a steady noise in the background. The ceiling was as high as a cathedral, but there were steel catwalks going to and from the apparatuses. One woman was hanging on a rope, properly secured on the railway, and drilling a hole into a panel on the wall of what seemed to be a ventilation tower.

"I don't know much about engineering, to be honest. I only know there are about five or six working sections. They always mock each other at lunch. And back there are the impulse generators, that's where they found you."

"It's… wonderful." Hermione was lost for words.

"Well, now about the more entertaining things. So, you'll be staying the whole week with us?" Flyer asked.

"It seems so," Hermione said.

"Then I will show you what you can do on the ship during the next few days."

They went back to the elevator and Flyer pressed the button 9.2. When the door opened, she stepped out, held out her arms and said: "Tadaa! Deck 9, the fun floor."

Hermione carefully stepped out and looked around. People were dressed more casually here, and there was one big room with tables and chairs from which doors led out to the rest of the floor.

"So, we're flying through space for five years. Basically, that's our home. So remember how to get here, because that's the lunchroom you'll be eating in. There's also one on Deck two for the high officers and one on… I'm not sure, fourteen I think, for the engineers. It's easier for them to eat there when they have shifts. However, most people come here to eat and socialize."

They walked by a man who typed a few numbers in a machine on the wall, and suddenly a hole opened. He took the sandwich and the coffee and went to his friends. Hermione stared. Magic was completely overrated if you had technology like that!

"Do you want to stay for a while or do you want to see the rest?" Nurse Flyer asked. "I'm sorry, I hope it's not too much? I mean you just woke up and…"

Hermione smiled at her. "I feel great. Thanks. I'm ready to see the rest."

"Are you sure? The CMO said we should go easy on your heart."

Hermione was touched by the sincere concern in the nurse's voice.

"It's alright, really. It's not my health that's making me speechless, it's this incredible ship. It's like a flying city."

Nurse Flyer beamed up again. "That's good to hear. You're right, there are definitely parallels. Okay, so let's see. The first corridor here leads to the shopping area." Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You can shop on board?"

The nurse shook her head. "Well, not technically. You can just order new uniforms there, or let something have changed. There's a hairdresser and a barber and whatever you need to live on a ship like this for a longer period of time. It's not that interesting. But this is!"

She pointed at the second door. "There are the recreation rooms. They are cozy, and sometimes Nurse Bower organizes movie nights. Come with me."

They passed a few rooms where people off duty were playing cards or tridimensional chess, and Nurse Flyer occasionally stopped and introduced Hermione. Hermione awkwardly waved and smiled.

"So, and here's the gym. It's actually pretty huge. If you like, you can sign up for classes like combat on this screen, or state your preferences when you'd like to work out so it's not too crowded. But normally, you can just go whenever you want."

Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Except if Captain Kirk is training. I tell you, half of the female crew has a crush on him! I once made the mistake of coming here when he bench-pressed, and they weren't even pretending to do something, just staring at his muscles. You've already spoken to him. That's more than some of them can claim."

Hermione laughed. "I see. He seems nice."

"And very attractive."

Hermione couldn't deny that, but still…. She shook her head. She was glad to be over with the phase of unhealthy crushes and unrequited love. One Gilderoy Lockhart was enough in her life. Finally, they went to her new quarters.

"So, this is where you will stay," Nurse Flyer said. She typed in the code and the door opened. Hermione turned around. "Thanks for the tour… I'm sorry, I still don't know your first name."

The nurse blushed.

"Oh, that's my fault. Emma, it is. Emma Flyer. But most people just call me Flyer, so I forgot about it. May I call you Hermione?"

Hermione nodded.

"Oh, that's great. I should get back to work now. It was nice with you, Hermione! I guess we will see us soon, it's a small world here."

Emma Flyer waved. Hermione watched the bright-spirited woman leave before she turned around. She took a deep breath. It was time to meet her roommates.

oOoOoOo

 **AN** : That's a lot of follows. So, yay! Keep it up!  
Of course this is kind of a bridge chapter, but... living on the Enterprise is awesome.

 **Mythic Hue** : I am glad you like it. Aren't Australians used to their environment constantly trying to kill them? Colonizing a planet should be a piece of cake, then. With a lot of barbeques, of course.

 **peachx89** : I just wanted to thank you for reviewing from the very beginning. For example, Hermione cradling her wand was absolutely heart-wrenching in my mind, and you said that part was sad, so I got that going for me, which is nice.

 **celf** : It's supposed to take place in the Kelvin Universe, the Tribbles just happened. But, for the record, it's Star Trek: 2009. Because McCoy and Kirk...

 **Taboo22** , **orangemavis** , and the earlier reviewers, thanks for the feedback :) Have a great day!


	7. Chapter 7

Leonard McCoy scowled when Nurse Flyer entered sickbay, a content smile on her face.

"Flyer! What has taken you so long?" She was lucky that he had had coffee in the meantime, because otherwise his greeting would have turned out to be much harsher. It was a quiet day, but there was a reason why there were always at least ten nurses and two doctors on duty.

"I showed Hermione the ship," she answered with a nod, then turned around to the Ensign who had walked in behind her. He had a badly injured hand.

Leonard sharply closed his mouth. He watched the nurse as she led the man to the nearest biobed. Her motions were swift and practiced.

"This will hurt a little," she said before she took a piece of synthetic skin and pressed it to his burns. The Ensign hissed but didn't complain. Then she sealed it and smiled. "That's it. Have your hand looked over by Doctor O'Tasser and then you should be free to go. Come back tomorrow at 0900 for a check."

When the man went away, she looked up. She must have sensed his dismay. Of course she knew what it was about.

"What?" She asked. "I like her. She was completely fascinated by everything I showed her. I don't think she has ever seen a replicator in her life before."

That had bugged Leonard for a while now. From which deserted part of the universe did Granger come from when she didn't even recognize the most basic technology?

Still, it couldn't be that his nurses simply ran off whenever they wanted. Nurse Flyer was capable, and she did have his respect for being understanding and patient the whole day through, but that didn't let her get away with everything.

"I noticed it," he said to the nurse. "I take it she will not get lost on the way to the lunchroom?"

"No, she won't," Nurse Flyer affirmed. A relieved expression crossed her face. Not completely unperturbed then, Leonard observed satisfied. He gave her time to get a few steps away from him before he called her back.

"Nurse Flyer." He barked, and she looked back with apprehension in her eyes. "Since you are so keen to help, I ask you to clean the surgical suites two and three after your shift."

Her shoulders slumped down.

"Yes, doctor."

oOoOoOo

Leonard dragged his tired feet to the mess deck. The meeting with Jim had taken much longer than he had planned, and his stomach was eating itself. Although in space there was no day and night cycle, the lights in the corridors were dimmed between 2300 and 0600. Crew members were walking more silently, and although the night was only artificial, it sure as hell felt like a night.

He ordered a chicken sandwich and water and slumped down in the nearest chair. At this time, there were only a few people in the mess hall. Gamma shift had already started and most of the crew was in their beds by now. And that was exactly where he would head in a few minutes, too. But for a moment, he enjoyed the silence. Sickbay sometimes grew too much, too loud, too chaotic. And as much as he liked Jim, from time to time it was good to be alone. Sitting here, being aware of the people in the room, each of them quietly minding their own business and recovering from another exhausting day, he felt at ease. This was where he belonged. And it was all he had.

Before his thoughts drifted to darker places, he went back to actively feeling the moment. When it was silent and there were no other diversions, one could feel the constant, minimal vibration of the ship. On the one hand, it terrified Leonard. It reminded him that the Enterprise was only a piece of metal, flying through space at a rate that was impossible for the human mind to comprehend; a piece of metal only held together by pure will and those borderline geniuses in engineering whose wounds he spent treating day in, day out. On the other hand, it had the soothing effect of a car ride.

Light shone from a booth to his right. When he stood up to get his dishes recycled, he passed it. Hermione Granger was sitting on the bench, and reading. She had changed into one of the grey jumpers everyone got, and looked like every other member of the crew in casual wear. A blanket was spread over her legs, and the mass of curly hair was in a loose bun, only held together by her wooden stick. Although he couldn't really think of anything to say, Leonard stopped in front of her. That didn't matter, as she was absorbed in the PADD on her lap, and he doubted she noticed anything around her. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone reading like this. The nearest example would be Scotty, who went crazy every month when the latest issues of his technical journals arrived.

He must have made a noise, because suddenly she shrieked, and faster than he could look her hand had let go of the PADD, grabbed the stick from her hair and pointed it at him.

"Whoa, whoa!" He held up his hands and took a step back. Granger's fierce eyes met him, and he realized that she was willing to attack. But there was also fear, and darkness. Or maybe he imagined things. He didn't know how she planned to defend herself, and the light was in her back, so it was only logical that her irises appeared to be nearly black.

Granger recognized him, and her expression softened. She relaxed and put the stick in her sleeve.

"Doctor," she said, and he was at a loss for words. Without the stick, her locks tumbled down over her shoulders. He was way too tired to say something clever anyway.

"Why aren't you in your quarters?" He asked, and it came out sounding brisk.

She looked up at him, and whatever she saw must have changed what she had wanted to say originally.

"I felt lonely," she said.

Leonard nodded. The mess hall at night was a change from the crowds that populated the ship during daytime, but the quiet presence of others provided an atmosphere of safety. Then he remembered that she had been crying that day.

Leonard regarded her. Granger looked quite at home in this booth with her blanket and the PADD, but there was something deeply vulnerable about her now. She emitted a feeling of sadness. Was that the same woman who had escaped from under his care, boldly held against Spock and made friends with Flyer on the third day they knew each other?

"May I sit?" he more grumbled than asked. Granger's face brightened up and she pulled back her feet to rest her chin on her knees.

"Feel free," she said.

Leonard really didn't know what made her that excited every time he was rude to her, measured by social standards. But then he thought that to her, it didn't matter who he was. The point was that she wasn't alone anymore. That was good, because he was crap at comforting distressed young women. So he decided just to sit in silence.

Apparently this was the right choice. Granger picked up her PADD again. Leonard leant against the headrest and thought.

Granger had told them that she had lived through a war. When he analyzed her behavior from that angle, it made much more sense: Her first instinct had been to mistrust the people around her and flee. She had been in a coma, which had additionally intensified the disorientation she had experienced after waking up millions of miles away from where the accident had happened. Probably it had taken her a while to accept where she was. And now, there was nothing she could do.

Leonard turned his head to see her eyebrows drawn together as she studied him. When their eyes met, she blushed. Leonard suppressed a grin. That woman couldn't hide any of her emotions.

"For whom did you mistake me earlier?" he asked.

As expected, her expression clouded.

"I'm sorry about that," she said. After a moment, she added: "Bad people. Horrible people. Let's just say that I really don't like being surprised in the dark."

Leonard nodded. He didn't probe any further. He got himself a cup of tea, and Granger continued her reading.

When he noticed that her head began to drop, he quietly called her name.

"Granger!"

"Yes?"

"Time to go to bed, missy."

Granger yawned and stretched.

"I guess you're right, doctor. Time to call it a night."

She stood up and wrapped the blanket around her like a cloak.

"Sleep well," she said. "Thank you for your company."

Her quarters were in the opposite direction from his, and he watched her leave. On the way to his own bed he came to a conclusion: He didn't know how Hermione Granger had ended up behind the impulse generators, but he didn't think that she was crazy anymore.

Tomorrow he would need one hell of a strong coffee.

oOoOoOo

AN: Sunday evening update! Well, depends on where you are.

Thanks **peachx89** and **Terrence Rogue** \- I guess you'll notice the pairing :)


	8. Chapter 8

Leonard's main achievement today, and it was indeed one he was rightfully proud of, was getting Jim to agree to a physical. However, 1000 came and went, and the captain didn't show up. Typical. Briefly Leonard thought about calling him, but then decided to postpone the rant to when he met the kid at lunch. There was no way the captain could escape him then.

At noon he made his way to the officer's lunchroom. Then remembered that yesterday, Jim had told him that he wanted to clear something up with Scotty. He changed his direction to the mess hall on Deck 9.

He saw them as soon as he entered the mess hall. Most of the bridge crew members were sitting at one table in the middle of the room. Spock's stiff posture was easy to spot, and Scotty's excited voice carried over the general noise. Leonard ordered something healthy - he may as well set a good example – and sat down next to Jim.

"Hi, Bones," he was cheerily greeted. "Scotty's been telling me about the progress they made with the new stabilization system."

Leonard narrowed his eyes to slits.

"Jim, didn't you forget something today?"

The kid was unconcerned. He pretended to think, then said:

"No, Bones, I don't think so. What's making you so grumpy? It's too early for having a bad mood."

"You're making me grumpy," Leonard hissed. "You said you would come to sickbay for your physicals."

He saw Jim exchange a look with Spock.

"Umm…" The captain said. "I'm so sorry, there was an, eh, emergency earlier. Really, I didn't have the time."

Judged by the way the Vulcan raised his eyebrows, it was a lie.

"You're coming with me after you're finished," Leonard announced. Jim sighed. Oh, Leonard truly loved making people happy.

"You're a cruel man."

"So, there have been difficulties with connecting the system to the warp core. The goal was to maintain one hundred percent stability when changing from Warp Three to Warp Four. She always made a little hop, our Enterprise. But we weren't able to connect it to the general power sources, they had to compensate the power needed for the system," Scotty droned on.

"Everything alright in medical?" Lieutenant Uhura asked.

Leonard shrugged. "A madhouse, as always."

"Ensign Kramers had to crawl into the tubes, and it's incredibly hot in there," Scotty said. Leonard questioningly raised his eyebrows, but Uhura only shook her head. No need to find out what Scotty was talking about, then.

"Sooo, Spock and I thought that it would be nice if you accompanied us to PinPin later," Jim suddenly chimed.

Wait, what?

"I did not voice this suggestion out loud," Spock demented. Jim rolled his eyes.

"But you thought it, didn't you?"

"No."

The corners of Lieutenant Uhura's mouth slightly lifted, but Leonard was too taken aback to pay attention.

"Are you out of your goddamned mind, Jim? No." He protested. "I won't get on an away-mission with you. I thought we were heading to Brisbane 21? What's PinPin?"

"Class M Planet, mostly desert, intelligent life beneath the surface suspected," Spock provided helpfully.

"Yes you will," Jim said. "It's on our way. If I have to do physicals, then you have to go on a planet with us. That's my only condition, I won't order you… but on second thought, I think I will."

Leonard groaned. "Seriously, Jim? That's even low for your standards."

"There are many new plants to discover! Desert life! Fascinating… stones!" Jim fluted. "You will see, it will be so much fun!"

Leonard doubted it.

That moment he saw Granger from the corner of his eyes. She looked around the room, over the chattering groups of security officers to the more composed scientists and the interesting groups where all shirt colors mingled together. Leonard thought she looked relieved when she recognized him, but then she dropped her eyes. Right, he sat together with the most high-ranking officers on board.

Granger took a chair in the back of the room and sat down alone. She produced a PADD out of her pocket and began to read, but Leonard felt it was more a pretense than actual reading.

"What did you say?" He asked when he realized that Jim had continued speaking.

"Oh, nothing," the kid grinned. Leonard scowled at him.

"Departure is at 1600. Spock and two security officers are coming with us. Meet us in the transporter room."

"I hate beaming," Leonard grumbled. Was this the price he had to pay every time he wanted something from Jim? He was a doctor, dammit, it was his job to look after the kid.

He was nearly finished with his meal. "I'll be right back," he said and went to the next recycling bin. Then he casually strolled over to Granger.

"Hey, missy," he said. "You're fine? What are you reading?"

"Hi, doctor," she greeted him. Again, the stick held together her hair. He began to suspect that she only had wanted it back so badly because it was her favorite hairpin.

"Some light reading. I ran out of reading material yesterday, and this morning one of those redshirts recommended me this."

Leonard tilted his head to read the title.

"Introduction to engineering physics and warp technology? Light, you call that?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

Granger blushed. "Is there something wrong? The guy seemed to find it funny. I mean, it's fascinating. For an introduction maybe a little too advanced since I don't have much background, but I have been making notes, and I think I start to understand it."

Leonard cleared his throat. "Nothing wrong with that," he said.

Contrary to what Jim told the others, he could do polite. Gods, that damned kid was driving him to an early grave. Forcing him to get on an away mission with him- there surely were one or two vaccinations which weren't exactly necessary now, but which he would give the captain just for the sake of it.

"Did your work require a lot of mathematics?" He asked. He remembered well the equations she had drawn on a PADD five minutes after she had woken up. The PADD was lying around in his office, and he had taken a look at it and found out that he didn't understand a thing.

"One could say so," she smiled, because of course a simple "yes" or "no" would have been too easy.

"I got a feeling for numbers. It's like Aristotle and literature: When he described how to write, it wasn't meant as rules. He only passed on what, in his experience, had worked best. But later, writers and poets took his words far more seriously than he had ever intended, and turned it around, so that every written drama or epic poem which was different was seen as bad and wrong. It's the same with numbers. Of course there are rules, but more importantly than that is that they have an inherent logic. Something new isn't automatically bad. Sometimes I just feel where a letter has to go in an equation so it makes sense. I've become quite good at it. If you not only learn, but feel the mechanics and logics of this warp technology rather than just memorize them, it makes sense."

Leonard stared at her.

"You," he said at length, "definitely need to talk to Spock about that someday."

She considered him, and the glee left her face. "I apologize, I think I got carried away . My friends could never stand it when I talked about … mathematics as if it was a great thing. They preferred more tangible topics."

It was in the human nature to try and mend aches with more or less eloquent words. Leonard didn't know what made him say the words that left his mouth next.

"I may not have understood half of what you were telling me, but that's my own fault. You know, I like women who are smarter than me."

"What?" Her startled eyes met his. That had definitely sounded differently from what he had intended to say. Dammit, what was he doing?

Leonard looked around to see that Jim was already leaving the mess hall. He cursed.

"You have a check up at 1400," he told Granger. Great, Leonard. Retreat to your professional self. "If you excuse me now, lady, I have to catch the kid and drag him to sickbay."

He fled, but could feel her eyes burning on his back.

oOoOoOo

Hermione shook her head. It seemed that the doctor had been flustered. She watched the tall man leave the lunchroom in long strides. A warm feeling settled in her stomach. She could certainly cope with his grumpiness when he said such things in return. Being appreciated for her swottiness was a welcome change from being sneezed at for it. Smiling, she went back to the mechanics of warp travel. There were six more days to go on the Enterprise.

oOoOoOo

AN: So, here's more of the bridge crew's everyday life; Kirk being persistent, Spock being precise and McCoy being annoyed and harassed. Thanks for the reviews, the following and favoring. Space-cookies for you all!


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Nurse Flyer let herself fall on the chair next to Hermione with a huff.

"I tell you, the last twelve hours were hell."

Hermione looked up from her PADD. She had found out how to get a cup of delicious English breakfast tea from the replicator, and was nibbling off a biscuit which she occasionally dipped into the liquid.

"What's happened?" She asked.

"Captain Kirk, Commander Spock and Doctor McCoy got hurt on the mission yesterday. The only ones unscathed were the security officers." She sighed and added sarcastically. "Absolutely no pressure there, when you're responsible for three of the most important people on the ship. Doctor O'Tasser and Doctor Veninde are on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

The biscuit fell out of Hermione's hand.

"Will they be alright?"

The nurse laid her head on her hands. "Yes, they will. According to the report, it really was a chain of unfortunate accidents. But what else do you except from our captain? I'm so tired. I worked the whole night through."

Hermione's heart rate normalized. They didn't die and would get up again.

"Can I get you something?" Hermione asked. She burned to find out what had hurt them.

"I can't eat now. I just want to sleep, and a drink."

Hermione nodded and brought Nurse Flyer a cup of herbal tea.

"Thanks," the woman smiled. "Do you want to hear the story?"

"If you're not too exhausted, yes, please."

"Well, it seems that Captain Kirk found the only species of grass on this planet he is allergic to. He had an allergic shock. There is intelligent life on this planet, but they're small, about the size of cats. They noticed that someone needed help and came up to the surface. In the process of running to the captain, Doctor McCoy pushed one of those little things over. But they have powers of mind, not unlike the Vulcans have. So the creature put him in a coma. Spock tried to prevent it, but was caught himself, since their minds don't seem to be compatible. The security officers informed Acting Captain Sulu and arranged for everyone to be beamed up. And then Sulu went down himself to look for one of these creatures to undo the damage. Commander Spock already woke up, and Captain Kirk is alright except for an ugly rash on his skin. But they refused to treat Doctor McCoy since he hurt one of them, and it will take one or two days for him to wake up. There should be no lasting effects, however."

It took a moment for Hermione to digest Flyer's words. Cat-sized creatures with mind powers? Since the other woman didn't rate this as unusual, Hermione decided to hold back a comment.

"Is it reasonable to send all three of them together on a mission?" Hermione asked.

"The captain thinks it's fun. Commander Spock wants to analyze the vegetation himself, and of course, he never leaves the captain's side. And our doctor was forced to come."

Hermione took a sip.

"It doesn't sound wise to me. What if one day, Captain Kirk gets killed? Or the others? I mean I am new here so I might not understand, but it doesn't seem logical to me."

Flyer sighed.

"You will get used to it. It's just another day on the Enterprise. Did you think the doctor was joking when he said he had to patch up the captain all the time?"

To tell the truth, yes. Hermione had already seen the captain in an injured state twice, but she hadn't thought that it was a normal thing to happen.

"I don't know how they do it, but they always get out alive. And based on my experience with the captain, I am convinced that it will stay that way."

Hermione envied the nurse for her positive attitude. Where she came from, recklessness more than likely led to death.

"I hope so, too," she simply said.

Flyer regarded her for a moment.

"They know what they are doing, Hermione. Most of the time, at least."

She stared at her tea.

"I am sorry to leave you, but I think I will take this with me. I'm dead on my feet. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Sleep well," Hermione said.

Alone again, Hermione faced her two PADDs. "Introduction to engineering physics and warp technology" contained arithmetical problems. Their aim was to train the mathematical skills needed for creating and calculating warp and impulse engines. Although it was different from arithmancy, numbers were numbers.

Hermione read the instructions and drew the equations on the second PADD. Solving the problems required Hermione's full attention. However, she liked being challenged. And there was nothing else for her to do, anyway.

oOoOoOo

The evening came, and Hermione went to her quarters to shower and change. As one could read on the screen on the living room wall, both of her roommates were assigned Gamma shift today. The two women, one of them with green skin, were busy preparing themselves for work. Hermione kept to herself. She indecisively stood in front of her bed. It was way too early to go to sleep, and she knew she would only be lying awake and worrying.

So she grabbed her blanket again. Hermione hesitated for a moment before she took a PADD. She wished her roommates a good night and headed back to the mess hall. The booth from last time was free, so she sat down and began to read. This PADD was about chemical engineering. Engineering physicals and warp technology were surprisingly fascinating, but after more than five hours of solving mathematical problems, she needed a change. People came and went, and the conversations and the clattering of crockery and cutlery provided a steady background noise. As time went by, more and more people left. When the lights dimmed, Hermione switched on the reading lamp in her booth.

Finally, she laid the PADD aside. Hermione loved to learn, but it was tiring without having a purpose. She got up, switched off the lamp and strolled through the empty hallways. When she passed the gym, the screen on the wall caught her eye.

Hermione had never been a sporty girl. There had always been other pressing matters occupying her mind: In her youth, surviving a year at Hogwarts had somewhat filled her free time. Also, they hadn't offered any sports classes except for Quidditch, and Hermione had always hated flying on a broom. It was the first time she saw the irony. Now, she was stuck on a starship, and she felt unexpectedly safe. Maybe it was because she trusted muggle logics and technology more than magic with all its uncertainties. Also, there was no need to cling on a broomstick to keep flying.

And then there had been the war, and being on the run for almost a year while constantly starving. In hindsight, it seemed even worse. They had been kids then, but they hadn't had a choice. Like she did now, they just had kept going.

It hadn't been a good idea to rush into a relationship. Everyone who had been involved in the fight carried their own demons, and Ron and Hermione hadn't taken the time to work on their issues. On the contrary; the side of the light had won, and it had seemed inappropriate to stick to the bad things that had happened. That was one of the reasons why things hadn't worked out for her and Ron: While he had been happy to move on, Hermione had needed more time to cope with their experiences. Ron had never understood that.

And after that episode, Hermione had busied herself with work. It was kind of sad, really. The only relationships that had lasted in her life were the ones with Harry, and Crookshanks. And now, even they were gone.

Hermione took a deep breath. Did Harry worry about her? It was a few days since the incident had happened. What had Kilian reported? She didn't know of anyone who would be able to continue her work. It was weird, but that hurt. Did Ron care, or was he concentrating on his career, and had banished her from his thoughts?

Hermione hand slightly shook when she lifted it to go through the course offers. Her short-time goals were to finish, and completely understand, the PADDs on warp technology and chemical engineering. But there were still a few days left until her stay on the Enterprise came to an end, and she needed something else to distract her. Acrobatic dance? No, thanks. Indoor climbing? Swimming? Fencing? Yoga? None of these activities sounded appealing to her. Hermione closed the option window and just reserved one hour on the treadmill for 1000. Tomorrow, she would probably regret it.

With a sigh, Hermione turned around. It was late, maybe she was already exhausted enough to be able to sleep.

oOoOoOo

AN: Thank you so much **Mythic Hue** (McCoy flustered is completely adorable), **Gin-Sensu, whrr . trudy, booksfoodmusic-minion, peachx89, myownphilosophy101a** (that means so much to me), **anja . quickert . 9** and **Fire Dolphin** (they will talk, eventually. Concerning wizards... just wait.)

I've come to a stage where I don't exactly remember every word from the first couple of chapters. I'd love to hear what you think about the characterization of the protagonists - because I know where I want them to go, but I fear that I forget to write one or two steps on the way to get there.

Anyway, this story turned out to be suprisingly long: So far I've written more than fifty pages, and that relatively fast. That's an achievement I'm proud of.

Lots of love, and Merry Christmas!


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione sweated. It wasn't the nice glow some girls got during exertion. Her head was as red as a tomato, and there was absolutely nothing graceful about her. Although she had bound her hair tightly into a ponytail, a few locks had escaped and now stuck to her forehead. Hermione gasped for air. This was killing her.

She slowed down and then just walked for a few minutes, regaining her strength. Then she looked at the clock and snorted. This was not acceptable. She felt as if she had run a marathon when in reality it had been merely fifteen minutes.

Hermione looked around. The man next to her had already been on the treadmill when she had entered the gym, and he still didn't look the least exhausted.

Hermione took the towel and went to the shower. She was out of shape, there was no doubt about it. While she undressed, determination grew inside her. Tomorrow she would be here again.

oOoOoOo

Hesitantly, Hermione entered the sickbay. She had found a bag in her room, grey and with the Starfleet logo on it. Now it was slung over her shoulder and filled with all the PADDs she had been able to get a hold of. It strangely reminded her of school times.

A nurse approached her.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

Well, she had come here, so she would go with it. Hermione straightened her shoulders.

"Is Doctor McCoy still in a coma?"

The man furrowed his brows.

"Yes, he is. That means you're not hurt?"

"No," Hermione said truthfully. "May I see him?"

"You neither stand in a personal relationship with him, nor did Captain Kirk notify us that Doctor McCoy is to expect visitors."

"Ah, come on, Zweca!" Nurse Flyer looked up from where she was working. "Don't be such a pain in the arse."

"Shouldn't you help Doctor O'Tasser with the records, Nurse Flyer?" Nurse Zweca asked stiffly. The woman shot him an annoyed look before she huffed and left.

"And don't you have to be somewhere else?" The man addressed Hermione.

"I'm a guest on the ship," Hermione said. "Listen, I just want to make sure he is alright. I won't be in anybody's way. Just let me in and I will be quiet."

Nurse Zweca eyed her critically.

"I'll have to ask the doctor," he said finally.

"Thank you."

It took him seven minutes to return. Hermione watched the clock in the meantime, tapped her foot on the floor and tried to seem not too curious.

"You may visit Doctor McCoy," Nurse Zweca said, and Hermione prevented herself from sticking out her tongue. That would be highly inappropriate for her age.

The nurse led Hermione to a room in the back. There was only one biobed, and Doctor McCoy lay in it as if he was sleeping.

"I will leave you on your own."

Hermione heard the door closing. She slowly moved to the bed. The doctor's face was relaxed, and it was disconcerting to see him without the familiar scowl. Hermione held her hands over his head and whispered a status spell. The feeling she received was completely neutral. At least he wasn't in pain. Since she didn't know on which medication he was, she decided that he had to go without a magical treatment. She didn't want to interfere, and she wasn't a qualified healer. Based on how technically advanced everything on the Enterprise was, she assumed that it didn't make a big difference anyway.

Hermione sat down on a chair next to the doctor's bed and unpacked her bag. Since she had woken up, the doctor had been a constant for her on the starship. There wasn't a special reason why she was here, but to be honest, it didn't matter where she did her reading.

Not that she would ever tell him this, but Leonard McCoy looked rather attractive when he slept.

oOoOoOo

Two hours later, the PADDs were scattered all over the place. Hermione's hair was ruffled, and she lay on the floor, chewing on her pen. Starfleet had about twenty principles, and she had troubles remembering the right wording. However, this ship and its mission made sense now. If this was the future of mankind, it was a good one. The civilization was built on tolerance and curiosity, with peace as its highest goal.

The door swooshed open. Hermione ignored it. Nurse Zweca had regularly checked on the CMO and each time he had deliberately overlooked the visitor. She had the feeling that he didn't agree with the decision that she was allowed here, or it was simply because he had been wrong.

"… the peace treaty. I trust you to notice if anything is amiss."

Captain Kirk halted in his step.

"Oh, hello there, Miss Granger. Didn't know you and Bones had a thing." He winked at her. "So he isn't such a prude after all. You should have seen him when I took him to a topless bar on Orion. He was miserable all evening."

Commander Spock leant to the captain's ear.

"I do not think that this piece of information is relevant for Miss Granger. Also, I highly doubt it will meet Doctor McCoy's wishes for discretion."

Hermione scrambled to her feet.

"Captain Kirk! Commander Spock. I'm sorry, should I leave? And," she added as an afterthought, a blush reddening her cheeks: "Doctor McCoy and I aren't connected in any way." Seriously, why did the captain even think that? And what were those red dots on his neck? Oh, that must be the rash Emma Flyer had spoken of.

"I just thought that maybe his subconsciousness registers when he has company."

Commander Spock opened his mouth, but Captain Kirk held up his hand.

"Stay," he said. "And do your… reading." He looked around the room. During the short time Hermione had been here, she had conjured the blanket on which she previously had been lying, and on Doctor McCoy's bedside table stood a pot of steaming hot Earl Grey tea and a plate with scones.

"I'll just… take that seat," the captain said.

"Oh, of course."

Hermione emptied the chair next to Doctor McCoy's bed. Then she stood indecisively in the middle of the room, but Captain Kirk didn't pay her any attention anymore. He sat next to the doctor and quietly started talking to him. Commander Spock was next to him, his hands clasped behind his back.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and lay down again. It was good to see that the captain cared about the doctor. After all, based on what she had heard, he had been the one to get the doctor into trouble in the first place.

oOoOoOo

The first thing Leonard heard when he woke up was the shuffling of paper. Wait, paper? They even had that on the Enterprise? Then a distracted murmur reached his ear. "No, that can't be right. There has to be another option. Merlin, I'm so dumb. So there's the fouling factor. What do they use for cooling again…" It took him a second to recognize the voice.

"Granger?" He coughed. "Why the hell are you in my room?"

He couldn't move yet, but a surprised squeal and the sound of a PADD falling on the floor indicated that she had heard him. He hoped the device wasn't damaged, but normally a fall like that didn't do them any harm, and Leonard suspected that Jim sometimes threw his PADDs against the wall when he was frustrated. Either way, she wouldn't be the first one to destroy a PADD.

"Doctor? Are you awake?"

A huge mess of hair appeared in his peripheral vision until she leaned over him and stared into his eyes.

"Obviously," he grumbled. He noticed that it had to be late since the lights were already dimmed. "I'm not going to repeat my question."

"Oh, well… Nurse Zweca first didn't want me to visit you, but Doctor O'Tasser said it would be alright. Captain Kirk and Commander Spock have been here, I don't know if you can remember."

"I didn't ask who else visited me, but why you are here," Leonard insisted. Maybe he was annoyed. Maybe he just wanted to see her blush. No one would ever know.

And there it was; the red on her cheeks.

"I'm, umm," Granger said, but then she straightened up. "I wanted to keep you company," she said. "It's always good to wake up and not being alone, but be greeted by a familiar face. I know I'm not Captain Kirk or a friend, but..."

What friends? Leonard thought ironically. He regarded her. It didn't happen often that someone was considerate towards him, especially in a manner that showed him that it was the most natural thing for her to do. His past had scarred him, but it had also taught him that one shouldn't take things like this for granted. On the other hand was it hard to trust someone when you had been betrayed by the one you had thought the world of.

Granger probably wanted something from him. But then… He didn't need to trust her. The only thing he had to do was to accept her presence.

Leonard sat up. Oh, how the tables had turned. Now he was lying in a damned biobed with Granger watching over him. As much as it satisfied him putting defiant crew members to bed, he didn't like being in one himself.

"How long have I slept?" It was good to know that first. Since Granger was still here, it couldn't have been more than a few days.

"Only about one and a half days, I think," she said. Her earnest eyes didn't leave his face as if to check if everything was alright with him. Not even two days, and the Enterprise was still in one piece? He could have woken up to worse.

"Captain Kirk and Commander Spock are okay, doctor," she said, answering his next question before he even asked it. Good news. He nodded.

"Hand me some of that tea, would you, missy?" He asked. Granger did as he said, pouring tea from the pot into a mug with a fluentness that told stories of how many cups of tea she had already filled in her life.

"And call a nurse. I want to get up." No way he would ever use that button. Granger shot him a look under raised eyebrows.

"No need to be so bossy, doctor," she said. Leonard realized with surprise that her mocking didn't annoy him at all. He glared at her and the woman left to find someone who had the authority to release him. Officially, at least. Unofficially, he did what he damn well pleased. Leonard stood up and stretched. That was another reason he had sent Granger away: There was no need for her seeing him in a medical gown. Standing, he felt slightly dizzy, but not too bad. He would give Jim hell for that away-mission.

However, after five minutes of searching Leonard had to acknowledge the fact that none of his clothes were in this room. So the woman would see him in a medical gown, with now blanket up to his chest, after all.

The door swooshed open, and Granger entered with an excited O'Tasser in tow. Great. She looked amused when she realized what he was wearing. Did he just imagine how her eyes went up and down his body? He had been sportier when he was younger, Leonard suddenly remembered. Not that he had a problem with his looks, but… it didn't matter, anyway.

"You're awake!" The man exclaimed. Leonard shot Granger a pointed look and rolled his eyes.

"Your observation skills make me reconsider that. Yes, I am awake. Where's my uniform?"

"I put it in your office. Nurse Zweca is bringing it," O'Tasser said while checking Leonard's body with a tricorder. It irritated Leonard immensely.

Thankfully, the man was quickly done. "Doctor McCoy, I recommend rest…"

"I'm a doctor myself, and your damned CMO," Leonard interrupted him. "I know what I have to do. Give me that," he said to the nurse who had just come in. Nurse Zweca handed him the clothes. It was his complete uniform.

"Have you cleared my medical record?"

"Well, if you insist…" the doctor said.

"I'm going to lie down later," Leonard said. "First I need to find the captain." And give him a proper scolding, he added in his mind.

"Missy?" He asked.

"Yes?" Leonard held up his shirt. "Do you want to stay and watch?"

Her eyes widened before her expression changed and she glared at him. "That was unnecessary," she muttered under her breath. Leonard himself was highly amused by her irritation.

"Just wait a second."

Granger hurriedly packed her things together, threw the blanket over her arm – where had she gotten that? It was red with playing cats on it – and waved him.

"Get well, doctor," she said. "Bye!"

With that she was gone. Leonard forbade himself to let his fellow crew members see him grin. He undressed and put his uniform on. O'Tasser and Zweca tactfully turned away. Now he felt complete again.

"Everyone's still alive?" Leonard asked.

O'Tasser gave an affirmative answer. At least there hadn't happened any major catastrophes while he had been sleeping. He didn't see a reason to prolong this situation any further, so he went to the door.

"Fine," he said. "Expect me tomorrow morning. Good evening."

"But-", was the last word he heard Doctor O'Tasser say. Leonard ignored it.

oOoOoOo

AN:

So, that's a long one, and I like it. I wish you a happy new year, and we'll see us in 2017!

Thank you **Gifty** for your long and thoughtful review. Also **anja . quickert . 9** , **emma3mikan** , **gracelander2** , **orangemavis** , **booksfoodmusic-minion** \- I'm glad you enjoy it, and I hope it'll stay that way :), and **Disasterous Angel** \- you make me happy, thank you for that.


	11. Chapter 11

Her last day on the Enterprise came, and the feelings that came with it hit Hermione off-guard. Why was her heart so reluctant to leave the starship? Logically thought, the answer was easy. It was a safe haven. The long corridors already made a familiar sight. Also, Hermione had learnt to find her way. However, she had to get home. She had only been here for a week. Maybe she would even miss this world, but she had a whole life to return back to. It might not be the happiest, and she might have made many wrong choices along the way, but it was her life, her friends, her home. At least, that was what she told herself every time she felt the sadness creeping in while she was clearing her room from any signs of magic use.

Hermione said goodbye to all the people she had gotten to know. Well, to be honest, it weren't that many. She asked her roommates where to find the engineer who had borrowed the PADDs to her. They told her his room number and said that if she hurried now she would catch him before his shift started. Hermione ran, and she didn't even get lost. The man was more than perplexed when Hermione knocked on his door, pushed the PADDs against his chest and started babbling about how much the subjects fascinated her. In hindsight it maybe had been the nervousness speaking out of her, but his dumbfounded face was a sight to remember.

After that she went to sickbay to visit Nurse Flyer one last time. Everything there went its usual way. Nothing indicated that the CMO had been attacked by an extra-terrestrial life form only a few days ago. The man himself could be heard scolding his current patient. His back was turned to the door, the tall stature obscuring the person sitting on the biobed.

"If you'd come a little earlier, that wouldn't have been necessary," he grumbled. Hermione had to smile despite herself.

"Scotty was away, and I was responsible for the control panel! I couldn't just leave."

"You leave whenever you're hurt!" Dr McCoy barked. "And I'm convinced Scotty will share my point of view."

Hermione came nearer and got sight of an Ensign who looked genuinely afraid.

"Don't tell Scotty, please, Doctor McCoy! You wouldn't do that?"

"Tell me why I shouldn't," the doctor spoke coldly while he checked a hypospray. "If you're hurt, you are to inform your superiors and not endanger them with your recklessness. Pain impairs your ability to make fast and wise decisions."

"Ouch!" The woman wailed.

"And suddenly you're sensitive to pain," the doctor commented dryly, tucking the used hypospray away. "You're feverish. I'll declare you unfit for duty. Go to your quarters and rest, and come back tomorrow at 1400."

"But will you tell Scotty? Transporter room shifts are the worst."

"Depends on how you behave."

The woman's face slowly lit up. "I'll be on my best behavior! Thank you, Doctor McCoy! Bye!"

The Ensign jumped off the bed. When she was out of earshot, the doctor shook his head and murmured: "Damned workaholics. Never know when it's enough."

His eyes then fell on Hermione, and his face changed. It didn't exactly soften, she noticed. His expression reminded her of someone... Her brain must be overwhelmed today. While he still looked stressed and tired, she had the feeling that her presence wasn't exactly an extra burden.

"Morning, missy. Haven't seen you in a while." The doctor continued cleaning his instruments, his main focus on his hands.

"Actually, I'm here to say good bye to Nurse Flyer. I'm leaving the Enterprise today." Saying it out loud brought a sense of finality she wasn't yet ready to face.

Doctor McCoy carefully put down the syringe. Then he turned to her, and Hermione could see his mockingly raised eyebrow. "You're not here to see me, then?"

There was something in his voice that made Hermione take a closer look at him. His icy blue eyes caught hers and suddenly, she was at a loss for words. Doctor McCoy didn't smile, he simply looked at her.

Out of nowhere, there was this sinking feeling in her stomach again. She would miss this sarcastic, moody doctor. Saying good bye would be harder than expected. Did he even notice he called her "missy" all the time? It was a pity there were no men like him in her time – or at least she wouldn't know them. Doctor McCoy was way too practical to get along with wizards.

Merlin, she hadn't spoken for too a long time. There was a good chance that this was the last time they spoke to each other relatively undisturbed, and she had nothing to say. Please, she hoped that this wasn't the picture of her he would keep in his memory- a prude, shy little girl. Of course he didn't know of the reputation she had in the wizarding world, but she wasn't that diffident usually.

Things would be getting awkward if she didn't say something now. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Well, Captain Kirk told me you would accompany us to Brisbane 21, so I won't bid you farewell now," Hermione finally broke the silence.

Wow. What had left her mouth had even made sense. Hermione mentally tapped herself on the shoulder. Also, it definitely had broken the moment. Without a word, Doctor McCoy turned around and hit the nearest pillow.

"Seriously? Again?"

oOoOoOo

Hermione stood next to Captain Kirk in the transporter room. She had found out that the science department had confiscated her clothes she had arrived in for analysis. Sadly, they also had destroyed them. Consequently she wore the red Starfleet dress again. Her wand was safely hidden in her sleeve. She was as ready as she could be. Hermione suppressed every feeling of fear and insecurity that rose within her. She had her wand and her wit, she could do anything.

"Ready for transport," the Scotsman, who ironically was called Scotty, announced. Hermione found it remarkable that she finally got a look on the man. His name had been everywhere – the ominous master of the engineering department, loved by everyone and never being called by his proper title. He was younger than she had expected for someone with that reputation.

"Energize!"

Hermione looked down and saw her body dissolving into golden sparks. Sweet Merlin, what had she gotten herself into?

A moment later she stood in a different room with people bustling around.

"Visitors from the USS Enterprise, step down from the transporter pad and come here to identify yourself," a man called from a near desk.

Hermione had to steady herself against the wall. Beaming was less unpleasant than apparating, but there was a weight in her stomach which didn't feel well. Oh, she sincerely hoped she didn't have to puke.

"You need help, missy?"

Doctor McCoy came to lean his back against the wall next to her. Hermione only nodded and concentrated on slowly breathing in and out. Fortunately, the dizziness subsided. When she looked up, she noticed that the doctor didn't look well himself. His mouth was pinched and his hands shivered. Did he also need a break? The thought was ridiculous. Wasn't he used to that kind of technology?

He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. "What? I still hate beaming," he muttered. "Well, let's go." With a huff he pushed himself off. Hermione followed him.

She had made one step off the transporter pad when an alarm began to ring. It was ear-deafening. The man on the desk, who had looked bored until now, jumped up and pressed an emergency button.

"What's happened? Is that an UEA?" Doctor McCoy yelled to Captain Kirk, who was clueless himself and looked around the room to spot a threat. There was none. His eyes finally found Hermione's.

"Who are you?" He mouthed, and Hermione felt as if he had pulled the ground from under her feet. What did he mean?

She had no time to ask him, because suddenly armed people were storming the room. There was a moment of chaos, and when it settled, they stood in a circle around Hermione with their guns pointed at her.

Their leader stepped forward and lifted his mask.

"Hermione Granger?" He asked.

"Yes?" Hermione said. How did they know her name? Why did they send more than twenty people to get her?

"You will accompany us."

"But what of-"

"No questions."

Hermione looked back over her shoulder. The surprise on the faces of Captain Kirk, Commander Spock and Doctor McCoy turned into disbelief. Doctor McCoy stared at her and looked… hurt?

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered.

They pointed at a door, and numbly, Hermione put her body in motion. They left without a further word.

oOoOoOo

AN: Thanks for all the nice and helpful reviews. There are two reasons why this chapter took so long: Firstly, I hated writing it. It always felt kind of wrong, and now I decided to just publish it and get on with the story than changing every sentence again. Secondly, I forgot the charging cable for my computer at home and my family had to send it to me.

But now my computer is back again, and so am I! Have a nice day.


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione didn't even get a glimpse of the planet they had beamed on. Of course, this wasn't the most important thing right now, but they shoved her through endless white corridors with not a single window, and it made her feel sad. Captain Kirk had told her that Brisbane 21 was a planet mainly used for recreation. There were endless beaches and the climate was mild. Families booked their vacations and couples their honeymoons on Brisbane 21. It had sounded like heaven, but for unknown reasons, Hermione wasn't to see it. She gulped. Crying wouldn't help at all, Hermione reminded herself.

Finally, they went around another corner where a group of six people was already expecting them. Although they were dressed more casually, they also wore belt holsters.

"Thank you, Philippe," a woman in a long dark coat said. "I will take over here."

The leader of Hermione's group nodded.

"No problems so far, Madam." He gave Hermione a push which had her stumbling forward. Really, was that necessary?

The woman raised her eyebrows.

"That's enough, Philippe. Dismissed."

Hermione didn't turn around to watch her guards leave. Instead, she looked the woman over who had been addressed as "Madam". She had a silent authority about her, but also something weirdly familiar.

"Miss Granger?" The woman said and pointed at a glass door to her left. Behind it were rows and rows of desks, armed people running around and deskjockeys carrying files from one place to another. All in all, the police office looked like out of a movie. Shit.

"After you."

Hermione grabbed for the door handle, but the door swooshed open automatically. Oh yes, she always forgot that.

She went through the door, and while she went, the whole surrounding changed. A cold wind brushed her. Suddenly the entrance behind her was a huge and made of marble. A staircase led up from the middle of the hall, long-robed people were chatting, paper planes were bombing through the air and the clock hanging from the ceiling two floors above them had several watch hands, pointing at the most recent news and developments. Everything had the typical old-school style which Hermione hadn't even realized she had missed. It felt like coming home. Hermione gaped. Tears and misery were forgotten.

The woman entered after her and smiled. Then she did a most graceful pirouette.

"I'm Magnifica York. Welcome to the Wizarding Embassy of Brisbane 21. I'm awfully sorry we had to fetch you like that. Please, follow me."

The other two men and three women friendly bade them goodbye. Their holsters had disappeared and although they didn't wear robes, they had this certain wizard-ish vibe. Hermione's heart rate normalized. Things had gotten from rather desperate to something infinitely better. She hurried to be able to keep up with Mrs. York.

They went to an elevator, of course. Like on the Enterprise, it didn't just go up and down, but in every direction.

"Time is a tricky thing," Mrs. York randomly said as they were walking along another corridor. While the walls on Brisbane 21 had been clinically white, the wizards had kept their love for wood, warm colors and moving paintings.

"As soon as you arrived, we knew who you are. Files appeared and history changed. But time is also very vulnerable, nothing is written in stone. That means, on the other hand, we didn't know. So, that's my office, come in. Tea?"

"Yes, please," Hermione croaked and sat down on the offered chair. Mrs. York produced her wand from a pocket in her jacket and flicked it a few times. Tea and scones appeared on the table. Hermione readily made herself a cup - she needed that for her nerves.

"Why did you arrest me if you already knew me?" She wanted to know.

Mrs. York shook her head.

"That's not exactly how it works. The alarm you set off is meant to detect unregistered witches and wizards. It is based on your magical signature. Since you're from – when? – 1999? 2002? Oh, I keep losing track of it. Nevermind. You're from the past, which means that of course, you're not registered. We didn't know you were coming until ten minutes ago, and there wasn't enough time to plan something different. I am truly sorry about how Philippe treated you. They belong to the regular law-enforcement agency on Brisbane 21, and thought you were a criminal."

Well, the crew of the Enterprise most certainly thought that she was a criminal, too, Hermione thought. That dampened her enthusiasm. She would probably never see them again, but… she had liked them. And now she would stay in their memories as someone who had lied to them, or worse. Captain Kirk had been the first to recognize the alarm for what it was, and he had rightfully concluded that Hermione, the only one of their group whom he hadn't known for years, had to be the reason. What he had asked made a lot more sense now.

But they were wizards! They could help her, and maybe she would be home sooner than she had thought!

"So, will you help me to get back in my time, then?" Hermione asked. "It's been longer than a week now, and I don't want my friends to worry." If they even worried, a small voice in her head said. Hermione was annoyed that she even thought like that. Harry was her best friend, and even though he was married to Ginny, they spent a lot of time together. Ron… was Ron. Okay, better not think about it.

The woman tsked. "My dear Hermione, didn't you work in the Department of Mysteries? Time is a funny thing. Of course we can send you back, but I'm not sure we should. Even the wizarding world has to evolve with time, although it always takes us a little bit longer, don't you think? We have so much more opportunities now, but that doesn't mean we should take them."

It took Hermione a moment to digest the woman's words, but then, irritation rushed through her.

"That means you have the means to send me back in time, but you don't want to?!" She knew she was unreasonably loud, but she couldn't help being angry. "I'm stranded here! I don't know anyone! I mean I know a few people of the Enterprise, but I don't belong there, and now they probably think I am a Klingon spy or something!"

"Of course!" Mrs. York smiled at her. "Or, on the other hand, no. I will send you back, eventually, that is, if you wish for it."

Hermione groaned. Why, oh why couldn't wizards be straightforward for once? Before she could continue her rant, Mrs. York spoke again.

"Time is relative. It doesn't matter how long you are in the future, we can send you back to any moment you like. I would recommend the day when you disappeared, but if you want to see yourself grow up, we can send you back to 1980? 1970? When were you born again? But on the other hand, that would require a lot of paper work. Meddling with time is not a good thing. That's still one of the rules. So, what have I been talking about? Oh yes, the reason why you are really here…."

"Why do you say eventually? And why shouldn't I want to?" Hermione calmly forced herself to ask when it seemed as if the woman lost track of what she wanted to say. It reminded her that witches were frustrating. She had missed home so much she almost had forgotten that. Her hands twitched. "And why are you allowed to decide this, anyway?"

The witch sighed.

"Because, eventually, you will be back in your time. But there's something which tells us that you may spend a little more time in the future than you would like to at the moment, and I hate to meddle with fate. I'm the Head of the Department of Mysteries, by the way. That gives me the authority. Your work brought a break-through in the Arithmancy of time – at least for those who understand it… oh well, maybe I shouldn't have said that."

Hermione just stared at her. Thousands of thoughts rushed through her head. Everything was going too fast! She would stay longer here? Her work would be appreciated in the future? And then, out of all the babbling, her brain filtered out the relevant information. Merlin help, she had been so dumb. Of course they were able drop her in her time, in the exact same moment she had disappeared. Her worry and confusion had influenced her ability to think logically. For Morgana's sake, she had worked with time and it hadn't occurred to her! Even if she spent a month, or a year here, it didn't matter, because the same time didn't automatically pass in her time. She would just go back, on the same day, and her friends wouldn't even notice. Hermione took a deep, calming breath. She wouldn't rush into this without giving it a proper thought. Magnifica York was eccentric, but not her enemy. Hermione had to hold herself together, and approach matters reasonably.

"I am sorry I yelled at you, Mrs. York," was the first thing she said after a long silence. "I am still overwhelmed by everything. Please, what indicates that my stay has to take longer?"

The woman regarded her. After a few seconds, she smiled again. She reminded Hermione a little bit of Luna, which was disconcerting.

"No offence taken, Miss Granger. Please, call me Magnifica. Well… we introduced a new system to keep track of all the prophecies. The human race, and with it the wizarding society, expanded all over the universe, and there were problems with delivering prophecies to the concerning persons. Of course, the old system was kind of impracticable even on Earth alone. Today's seers wear little microphones, and whenever they fall in a trance, the devices record what has been spoken. Once or twice a month the seers go to the nearest wizarding embassy and the records are saved, duplicated and sent to every wizarding embassy in the universe. Long story short, we received a prophecy relating to you. It was spoken only two weeks ago."

Oh my. Prophecies all over again. Hermione sighed.

"What does it say?" she asked.

"I don't know," Magnifica answered. "No one is to hear it except for the person it is about. However, it has been recorded in our time, and not in yours, which would strange, except if it was about your time here."

The woman took a glass cube from the shelf on the wall.

"This is it. If you want to hear it, tap your wand on it."

Did she really want to know? Hermione asked herself. But what if she walked out of the room without knowing what it was about? Would the prophecy never come true, or would it come true and Hermione would be unprepared? Oh, she knew why she had hated divination in school.

Well, Hermione Granger wasn't a quitter, and she never ran away. So she held up her wand and tapped on the cube. A deep voice spoke. Hermione was surprised to hear that it was male.

" _The warrior is tired, but there is still one battle ahead of her. If she is to save the one she cares most about, she has to continue her journey through the universe_. Oh crap, I did it again, did I?" The man asked. After a short pause, he added: "Whomever that concerns, good luck."

Hermione just sat and stared at the thing. "That's it?"

She hadn't known what to expect, but it was a pretty short prophecy. "That was… clear. I mean it tells me exactly what to do." Not that she liked it, though.

"You don't have to do anything," Magnifica said. "It's only a prophecy. If you want, I can send you back home now."

Hermione glared at her. The one she cared most for was definitely Harry.

"I don't see a choice here," she said angrily. "Oh god, that's another reason why I hate them. They only give you the illusion of choice! It obviously says that in order to save a very dear person – in my case that would be Harry Potter, does this name ring a bell? – I need to stay on the Enterprise. Just great. I mean, I can't let him die, can I? Or worse!"

Hermione huffed. She took a sip of tea.

"That means that I have to stay for a while," she said slowly, realizing what the prophecy meant for her. "Find out what I can do or learn something that will help him back home." How did the future influence the past? Was there an influence? Or wouldn't it matter at all as long as she learned the one thing that would protect Harry?

"For how long do you think it has to be? And how do I ever get home, then?" Hermione asked.

Magnifica nodded. "I'm sorry. I truly am. Well… the Enterprise will reach Earth again in about five months. I think that will do."

Hermione morosely stared at her tea.

"Five more months… I really need to find an occupation. The last week was tiring enough. Is there someone on Earth who is able to send me back in time? And how do I even get on the Enterprise? You let me have kidnapped in front of the captain, his first commander and the chief medical officer!"

"Um, about that…" Magnifica grimaced. "I can get you a paper for the passage. Something that says "Really Important Secret Mission"… We have contact to Starfleet command. If I tell Admiral Simovs about the prophecy, he will understand. I will also give you a personal letter for my sister, who works for the MACUSA. She is able to send you back in time. About your crew… should I obliviate them?"

"No!" Hermione protested immediately. "Don't hurt their brains."

"Well then… You will have to think of something."

"Great," Hermione sighed. They said nothing for a while, contemplating the situation, until Magnifica York clapped her hands.

"Better get going, then! First of all, you have to get registered. We'll give you wonderful new papers, passports and such, and you'll never have problems like that again. Hermione Granger, it is?"

"Hermione Jean Granger," Hermione automatically corrected. Although no one ever called her like that anymore, Hermione's middle name reminded her of her youth and her parents. Those memories were precious to her.

"Very well. If you would follow me… but…"

The woman stood in the middle of the room and looked Hermione up and down. Hermione didn't know what this was about now. Suddenly Magnifica York seemed nearly shy.

"Um… may I have an autograph? You know, we learnt about you in Magical History…"

That was too much. All the tension Hermione had bottled up evaporated. Hermione burst out laughing. First an autograph, then.

oOoOoOo

AN: Thank you for your feedback:

 **lilnudger82** : Bones flirting is really hilarious... and adorable :D

 **Jellybean** : Well, just look what happens ;)

 **twztdwildcat** : I wish there were more stories with a McCoy/Hermione pairing, but it seems I have to write them myself^^ Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy it!

 **carryon** : Here's the next chapter - no more cliffhanger.

 **nostalgiakills** : Just a precaution...

 **peachx89** : Thank you :)

 **Emma3mikan** , and **guest** :)


	13. Chapter 13

Jim slouched on the couch, a glass of Whiskey in his hand, swirling the golden liquid around. Leonard sat opposite him, staring at his drink. The arrest of Hermione Granger had somehow dampened the mood of the officers.

Leonard wondered why it had hit him so hard. She had only been a woman, a stowaway, a criminal. She had played them all along. And now she had got what she deserved. The matter was closed. So why did he feel miserable?

He downed his glass and ordered another one. Jim shot him a questioning look, but Leonard only shook his head. Sometimes he was glad for the friendship Jim and he had. No one would actually believe Leonard if he told someone that Jim was able to stay silent for a longer period of time.

"Oh come on, Bones. Don't look that way. It doesn't make a difference, you wouldn't have seen her again either way," Jim suddenly said.

Leonard immediately regretted his former thoughts. The kid couldn't be silent; it was in his annoying nature to babble all the time. Leonard grunted. Hopefully it was enough to keep the captain quiet.

"Crap, that didn't make it better, did it? So, tell me, did you and Granger really have a thing?" Jim asked. Leonard kept his mouth shut and took a sip from the whiskey the waitress brought. If the evening continued that way, he'd be completely shitfaced before midnight. He didn't object to this at all.

"Come on, Bones. You can tell me," the kid said conspiratorially. "You know, it wouldn't have been against regulations. You didn't work with her."

"I know the damned regulations," Leonard snorted because the kid just wouldn't shut up. "And no, we didn't do nothing, Jim."

The captain seemed indifferent, but Leonard wasn't drunk enough not to notice the searching look Jim sent him.

"Buuut you would have liked to, wouldn't you?" He fluted. Leonard glared at him.

"Just – don't," he tried to prevent the inevitably. Of course Jim didn't listen. He never listened.

"Your accent is coming through, Bones, don't lie to me. Would you have liked to kiss her? Grab her by her wild mane, press her against the wall? Find out if her sexy little mouth can do more than just talking about science?" He was still for a moment. "But exactly that's what you liked, didn't you, Bones? She was intelligent. She seemed interested in everything she got a look at. She was intelligent enough to fool us all."

Leonard got up without a word and went to the bar. Just because Jim felt the need to tell him the obvious, he didn't need to listen to him. Was it too much to ask to let him drink alone for one evening?

But even a beer and three shots later, he couldn't forget the pictures Jim's words had created in his mind. How was it possible, that the woman who had been completely disorientated, had seemed insecure, hadn't been able to conceal any of her thoughts, was a spy? But for whom? She was human, that much he knew, since he had examined her himself. And then he remembered: The weird signals his tricorder had received from her body, her defensive way, the danger in her eyes. Just because he had played poker with her didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. Maybe Hermione Granger had had more to hide than her painful past, maybe there was a secret darker than he could ever imagine.

Leonard knew people. He didn't like most of them, true, but nevertheless, he had thought he knew when someone was evil. At last he realized what the miserable feeling meant: He had begun to trust again, and had been betrayed. Fool me once, shame on you, Leonard thought bitterly. But fool me twice, shame on me.

oOoOoOo

Hermione stood in front of the window, a glass of wine in her hand. Her hair was still wet from the shower. Finally, after this long, crazy day, she had been showed a room for tonight. There was so much to think about, but for once, Hermione couldn't bring herself to plan ahead. Tomorrow she would pick up her new passport, and she would go shopping for clothes. Tomorrow she would think of a plausible story to tell Captain Kirk. Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, she would go back on the Enterprise. And then there would be a lot of tomorrows, until she would arrive on Earth.

The sky was dark and full of stars. Somewhere up there was a starship with hundreds of people living on it, scientists, engineers, navigators, security officers, and of course, nurses, doctors, and a captain. Hermione had never actually looked out of a window on the Enterprise, but the knowledge alone that she had been out there, passing stars and unknown galaxies, made her feel special. And someone had decided that she would experience it a second time.

There was no room for insecurities now, Hermione vowed to herself. This time, she would do her best. She had a mission now: Learn as much as possible, and try to help Harry. She wasn't a simple stowaway, she was Hermione Jean Granger, and they should be glad to have her on her side.

Hermione emptied her glass, dried her hair with a quick flick of her wand, and went to bed.

oOoOoOo

Leonard woke up with a pounding head in a bed that was not his own. He slowly sat up and tried to remember what the fuck had happened the night before. He couldn't. Carefully turning his head, he took in his surroundings. By the looks of the room, he was on the Enterprise. Thank god for small mercies, he prayed. Now he only had to find out in whose quarters he had spent the night, and where his clothes were.

Slowly, he got up, repressing a groan when the soreness in his head painfully increased. The door swooshed open and Leonard froze.

"Good morning, doctor," a well-known voice greeted him. "I see that your overindulgence in spirituous beverages didn't come without consequences. By your expression I gather that you experience pain?"

Leonard just stared at the first commander. How the actual fuck had he gotten here? Why had he slept at Spock's place?

"I'm not gay," he said. Just to make sure. Wasn't Spock kind of in love with Uhura?

Commander Spock raised his eyebrows. Had Leonard said something stupid, or what?

"I do know that, doctor," the Half-Vulcan clarified. "I am also more than unenthused about your presence in my private space."

"Then why am I here?" Leonard barked and immediately winced at the sound of his own loud voice. "And would you give me my clothes?"

Spock gave him his uniform and turned around. "Sadly, I didn't have any choice. Last night you and the captain were… let's say, slightly inebriated. He dragged you to my room, complained about your snoring, nearly let you fall down and ran away before I was able to protest."

"I don't snore," Leonard protested.

"You do when you drink," Spock said. There was no discussion there. Of course. Of all the places Jim could have brought Leonard, he had chosen the first commander's quarters.

"Fine," Leonard sighed. "I'll, umm, be on my way, then. Thanks for letting me stay, Spock."

"Doctor,"Spock nodded.

Leonard dragged his body to the door. There were a few advantages in being the CMO on a starship, and one of them was self-medication. First of all, he would pay sickbay a visit.

oOoOo

AN: Thank you for your feedback **whrr . trudy, RogueWitch7, Emma3milkan, myownphilosophy101a** (your questions will be answered soon ^^), **guest, jellybean, 47SilverProtons** (thank you, thank you so much for your encouragement. To be honest, I fear i didn't understand your temporal identity crisis completely, but I hope this helps: Whether all that timey-wimey stuff creates several timelines with several parallel Hermiones or not doesn't really matter since we're following _this_ Hermione who follows _this_ timeline. There might be several other outcomes, but they don't really matter - for Hermione, or for me as the author. But it's interesting, and if you have other thoughts concerning time travel, feel free to share them :) ) **, twztdwildcat, Ohlivia . smith** (Well seems I'm not really obvios in writing romance and such, lol. Yes, McCoy/Hermione confirmed) **, PappyOldGuy, Stormglass, imaLady1, Fetherhd** (welcome! Crossovers are great!) **, sandipi, Ruttan, FaeBreeze, guest, paola, Lina03** and **Guest.**


	14. Chapter 14

"Witches and wizards tend not to tell everyone about their special abilities," Magnifica York said. Hermione hurried to keep up with the witch's fast pace. "There is no such thing as the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy anymore, but there's a silent agreement to keep us hidden. If you trust a person, you can tell her about you, even about your past. Society has become really tolerant, and with all the alien interactions there's zero chance of another witch-hunting century. I think we just keep it up to feel special, and to keep our administration autonomous. This system has worked for more than 150 years now, and I think you'll be able to live with it. Avoid performing magic in public areas, but live your private life as you want. We trust every member of the wizarding society to handle this responsibility with care."

"Are there any witches or wizards on the Enterprise?" Hermione asked. This question had popped up in her head this morning. Could it be that she had even interacted with one?

Mrs. York conjured a scroll of parchment from the air and read it while walking.

"No, it doesn't seem so," she eventually said. "As I'm sure you're aware, we're old fashioned. Exploring and science are things most wizards have no interest in. We find a new place to live, we populate it, we build a community. That's what we do. There's a squib somewhere among the security officers, if that helps."

"Not really, but thank you," Hermione said. It would have been nice to talk to someone on the Enterprise with no secrets between them. Well, she would cope. Her arm began itching again, as it did from time to time, but she repressed the urge to scratch it.

"We're here," Magnifica York said. "I will leave you on your own now. You'll find back to your quarters, will you? I will personally bring you your papers in the evening. Until then, have fun!"

The woman turned around, and Hermione faced the shopping mall with a silent sigh.

"Oh, and one last thing," Magnifica York called back, one foot already in the elevator. "Buy a lot of conditioner for that hair of yours! The recycled air on a starship is dry. Trust me; you'll be better off with a lot of hair-care products."

Although Hermione had the feeling that hair care was the least of her problems, she smiled back at the witch. "I'll take your advice to heart," she said.

oOoOoOo

Hermione had been told that she was free to buy anything she needed. For this purpose they had given her a brown plastic card. "We care about our fellow witches and wizards, especially if they're from the past," the man at the counter had said. "The embassy's budget will cope. You're Hermione Granger, a war hero, a legend! The admission board would give you anything you want, so a little cash is the least we can offer. May I have an autograph?" Hermione had dutifully written her name on the picture of his daughter, and the man's gratitude had been almost too much to bear. She guessed she would never get used to being famous in the future.

Well, now she was standing in a huge hall, with stores as far as she could see. This would be a fairytale come true for Lavender Brown, but she was Hermione Granger. What did she really need?

After a few stores, Hermione resigned. Rifling through the clothes hadn't really helped her – they were weird and strange. It didn't help that every race seemed to have a different fashion, and she didn't know if that short dress was meant to be worn by a human or a Klingon. In the end, she only bought two jeans, sweatshirts and t-shirts, and in the rush of adrenaline, a ball gown. It looked nice. Maybe she could take it home, once the occasion finally arrived.

oOoOoOo

When Magnifica York visited her in the evening, Hermione already awaited her.

"I got everything you need," the witch cheerily greeted her, but halted when she noticed Hermione's somber mood. "Is everything alright, Hermione?" She asked.

"Yes," Hermione smiled nervously. "But I was thinking about it a lot since yesterday, and there's something I need to ask you. It's a favor, and you don't have to do it, but it would mean a lot to me."

Magnifica put the documents on the table and let herself fall on Hermiones bed. She gracefully arranged her long purple robe around her and said: "Spill it out, Hermione. It can't be that bad. I'm intrigued."

"It's about blood magic," Hermione said. Magnifica's only reaction was the raising of her eyebrows. "Really? You surprise me. That sounds indeed serious."

"It's not harmful," Hermione hastily reassured the witch. "It is just… I need a second party… and a drop of blood of the second party, to reverse a certain spell." Then she told the Head of the Department of Mysteries what it was all about.

"I suspect you're aware of my history, but there are scars on my arm. Scars in the form of letters, which spell the word 'Mudblood'. It's not a beautiful sight. Harry Potter, my best friend, helped me to cover them permanently, so that they would be invisible even when I'm asleep or unconscious. It was easier than to conceal them regularly. I mean, it was a great idea, because they would have stirred up a lot of questions I didn't want to answer when I accidentally dropped myself off on the Enterprise, but now… I will still cover them when in public, but I'll know that they are there. They are a part of who I am. I probably won't meet another wizard or witch in the next five months, so now is the time to ask. Will you help me, Magnifica?"

It didn't take long for the witch to come to a conclusion. "Of course I will help you."

oOoOo

"And here's your passport. I promise, all the paperwork is done, and you're free to travel anywhere you want in this universe." Magnifica York paused at Hermione's expression. "Oh, that sounded more dramatically than I expected. Well, I tend to forget that you're not used to a world which has literally no boundaries. You will get used to it. Anyways, you're registered as Hermione Granger in both the wizarding and the normal lists. Also, we granted you diplomatic status. Starfleet has to protect you."

Hermione smiled gratefully. Her scars were again concealed behind a temporary charm, but seeing had been a strange reminder that her past was true. She hadn't looked at them for such a long time that she had nearly forgotten how ragged they were. When Hermione looked at them, they didn't remind her of healed skin, but the ugliness of a fresh wound, and the brutality with which it had been created. This time, however, the memory of what Bellatrix had done to her didn't leave her short-breathed and panicked. This time, she was sure, there wouldn't be any nightmares. She had grown, and her mind had healed – at least a little bit.

The weight of the prophecy in her backpack was reassuring. It would be her compass. This was another improvement: In this century, the person the prophecy was meant for could listen to it over and over again. Maybe a few of the problems in her time wouldn't even have arisen if they hadn't been forced to rely on the memories of people who had heard the prophecy a single time.

"Thank you for everything, Magnifica," Hermione said. This was probably the last time Hermione would see Magnifica York ever again. It was a weird feeling. Strangely, however, she had slowly come to terms with her fate. Hermione hoped there would be a way to reconciliate with the Enterprise's crew. Why was she so keen on seeing Doctor McCoy again?

"We care for our fellow witches and wizards," the witch simply said, using exactly the same words as the wizard whose photograph Hermione had signed. "You'll never be on your own. Have fun on the way. Everything will be fine. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm glad I met you," Hermione said. "I wish you all the best."

"Have a safe journey, greet my sister for me, and watch out for Nargles. Starships tend to be infested by them. The funnels are their favorite habitat."

Hermione gaped as the woman left. Then she had to chuckle. Either this witch was as peculiar as her old schoolmate, or Luna had been right after all.

oOoOoOo

 **AN** : Thank you all for your kind and honest reviews!

 **123a456e**

 **PappyOldGuy** Thank you for your encouragement. That was some solid writing advice. Fanfiction is a great place to try "what ifs", and also a cool playground for practising language and writing.

 **Aniklan8** No, not all of them are, but I'm trying my best and I'm glad you enjoy it!

 **Guest**

 **guest**

 **peachx89** Here's the second interlude, but soon we'll be back on the Enterprise. By the way, you wrote the 100th review! :D

 **kossboss**

 **emma3milkanen**

 **Areader** thank you.

 **i lovedifferentmixesup** thanks!

 **Jellybean** Not completely ridiculous, I'm afraid, but back on the Enterprise nevertheless!

 **Amy** Well, he's not a main character, so to speak. He's just important to her, and it shows that Hermione's not like "whoops I'm in the future, fantastic!" but has a life left behind and waiting for her. It's not a wonderful one, but Harry is a constant for her, so consequently she thinks of him from time to time. And yeah, that's the McCoy charm. :)

 **Scarlet** **Dewdrops** Oh, I love how you already guessed a little bit. Indeed, her interests are set, and we will see how she will be allowed to put her skills to use.

 **jillybilly99** Thank you :) Jim's great to look at, but he's... not exactly the man for something serious, I think. He's still quite loveable, though.

 **Guest** / **Guest** (You're the same person, aren't you? Always hard to tell with guests :D) Actually, I know. I grew up watching TOS in German, and I think "Pille" was a great translation of McCoy's nickname. Are you German or Austrian?


	15. Chapter 15

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" A loud voice greeted her in the transporter room. Hermione straightened her back. So it began.

"Good evening," she greeted Captain Kirk. "Haven't you been told that I am to travel with you?"

The captain scowled at her. Hermione struggled to keep eye contact. The man's face was destined to smile, but now she saw that she never wanted to be on his bad side. Then she remembered that she already was there. What a pity.

"I was informed that we are to take in a diplomat, and guarantee her or his safety until we reach earth. There was no mention of you, criminal. Did you escape your guards? Why else would I need to put up with you?"

Hermione sighed. Of course there was no easy way. They had left it up to her what she wanted to tell them or not, but not even informing the crew who was coming with them didn't help her at all.

"It was a mistake," she said. She produced a piece of paper out of her bag. "Here, captain. I hope this helps."

Captain Kirk snapped the document from her hands and read it through. His expression didn't change. Finally, he handed it back to her.

"Starfleet's orders are clear, Miss Granger," he said coldly, the mistrust still evident in his eyes. "You better come with me."

Hermione's shoulders sagged in relief. Her hidden fear, that maybe, she wouldn't even make it on the Enterprise, dissipated. Obediently, she followed the captain of the starship to the transporter pads.

"But don't think the matter is closed," he added through clenched teeth. "You will meet me in my office as soon as all preparations for departure are done. I want an explanation." He turned to her. "And make sure that this time, it makes sense."

Then Scotty beamed them up.

oOoOoOo

"I was a scientist," Hermione explained. After two hours of pacing around in her room, a security guard had finally picked her up and brought her to the captain's office. She hadn't been here before, and even though she was nervous, she couldn't keep her eyes off of the gigantic window. Brisbane 21 was still beneath them, but being surrounded by… well, technically _nothing_ , gave her stomach floating sensation in spite of the artificial gravity.

The main reason why she was nervous was because she had decided to dodge the whole truth again, and was well aware of her abysmal lying abilities. The crew and she weren't at the best of terms at the moment. She would tell them everything except for the part that involved witchcraft. Who said that knowing to have a witch on board would make the situation better for her? Maybe someday she would let the captain into the secret, but now wasn't the time. How hard could it be to tell most of her story, but not all? Even Harry was better at concealing the truth, and most of the time, his emotions were an open book written on his face.

"I was assigned to a hidden research station on M654. We were only about twenty scientists, and we weren't allowed to talk to anyone about our work." So far, so good. Her team had indeed consisted of twenty of the nerdiest, highest educated witches and wizards the magical ministry of Great Britain had been able to find. "My research was strictly confidential, and since I … well, that's another story. All you have to know is that it wasn't planned for me to go anywhere anytime soon. Because of that I didn't have a valid visa. I also experienced a severe memory loss. I really don't know what exactly happened," Hermione finished lamely. Just because she could read books didn't mean she knew how to speak eloquently, she thought wryly.

"Why did you tell us that you fought in wars?" Commander Spock asked. His face was unreadable, but Hermione guessed that this was his usual expression.

Hermione slowly breathed out to calm herself. Why had this man to think so logically?

"My brain confused it with childhood memories. My family and I lived on a planet which was regularly attacked by humanoids who were allies with the Klingons, and I once was tortured. I guess those traumatic experiences came back when I landed here."

Spock nodded and opened his mouth again, but the captain interrupted him before he could say something that would shine a light on the inconsistencies of her statement.

"That's all nice and fine," Captain Kirk said. "But I want to know how exactly you got on my starship. It's not as if anyone could simply walk through the door."

"Well," Hermione said hesitantly. "Yesterday I received a call from my superiors. They found me because of my kidnapping through the security guards and handled all the formalities. I am allowed now to tell you a little bit and hope you will not ask any further. My research isn't that advanced yet one could put it to any use, as my awful and embarrassing accident shows. I really didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

Captain Kirk clearly wasn't a patient man. "The point?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"My research topic was intergalactical travel, as in long range beaming. And also," she had to reveal, since she had shown the crew that she hadn't known which year it was when she had arrived. "time travel." They didn't need to know how far she had travelled, though. From their perspective, the 21st century was what the Middle Ages were to her.

After her revelation, there was a moment of silence in the captain's office. Hermione fully sympathized. The fact that time travel was real was indeed something one had to get used to. Doctor McCoy chose this exact moment to barge through the door.

"I heard we have a situation," he barked. The man had an impeccable feeling for when it was time for a comic relief. Seeing his worried face made Hermione relax. The Enterprise experience was only complete if he was around, but of course he was here. "Tell me who is hurt!"

Captain Kirk gave a start, but Commander Spock didn't let Hermione out of his eyes.

"Jesus, Bones! Don't rush in like that, you'll give me a heart attack!" The captain complained. "No one is hurt."

The doctor visibly relaxed and lowered his ready-to-use hypospray. Then his gaze fell on Hermione, and his expression hardened. The wave of excitement Hermione had felt when he had entered the room quickly subsided, and she came back to reality.

"What the hell?" Leonard McCoy exclaimed. "Why… what?"

Caught completely off-guard, he didn't seem to know if he should be angry of confused, or both. Why exactly her presence troubled him, Hermione couldn't figure out. Out of the corners of her eyes, Hermione noticed that Kirk had to suppress a grin. Even if he didn't agree with her being on board, he still enjoyed to catch the CMO in a moment of speechlessness. Seriously, men never grew up.

"Doctor," the first commander said dryly and nodded at Hermione. "This is the situation we were talking about."

Doctor McCoy heavily sat down on the nearest chair. Hermione felt his eyes roaming from her face to her body and back, until she caught his gaze. Maybe he could read in her eyes that she didn't want him to be troubled at all, and that she could be trusted.

Spock coughed.

"Among other things, Miss Granger just revealed to us that one topic of her research concerned time travel," he updated Doctor McCoy.

Captain Kirk didn't give the doctor any time to let that sink in. "Yes, it seems it all were a few misunderstandings, caused by the fact that she had no valid visa for Brisbane21," he said.

Hermione gasped and stared at the captain. That sounded as if he considered peace!

"Time travel? Misunderstanding?" Leonard McCoy asked after a few seconds. "Jim, are you telling me I drank myself into oblivion because of nothing?"

The tension evaporated and Captain Kirk guffawed. "Bones, I love it when you're puzzled. If you like, we can drink ourselves into oblivion tonight again for no reason. Scotty invited me for a meeting with his section heads at 2300 tonight."

Doctor McCoy scowled at the captain. "Those never end well."

"Consuming alcoholic beverages at work is against the rules and highly unprofessional," Spock said. "What are your plans for Miss Granger, captain?"

Captain Kirk regarded Hermione with a close look. What he saw seemed to assure him of his decision. He sloppily waved his hand and nodded to her. "There's never a minute of rest with you, girl, but what kind of captain would I be if I let that worry me. If you excuse me, I need to think about this all. I am glad they didn't hand us a criminal, and as long as my ship is safe, that's all I'm interested in for now. You may reside in the quarters you used last week. I will send a guard with you, and he will accompany you for the time being."

Hermione only nodded, trying to conceal her relief. She could live with this temporary solution.

Captain Kirk clapped his hands. "Well, now we spoke about that. Bones, you'll come to the meeting, won't you?"

Doctor McCoy and Spock both sighed.

"Captain, please make sure that this time, our CMO will sleep in his own quarters. I refuse to bear his snoring yet again."

Hermione looked at Doctor McCoy, whose face got an interesting shade of red, and she wondered if she even wanted to know what those officers were doing in their free time.

oOoOoOo

AN:

 **kossboss**

 **i lovedifferentmixesup**

 **james birdsong**

 **dixie326**

 **moonlightkiss1515**

 **daferrad**

 **PappyOldGuy**

 **peachx89**

 **Jellybean**

 **Scarlet Dewdrops**

 **...** thanks for your reviews and have a nice day!


	16. Chapter 16

Finding something to occupy her mind on a starship like the Enterprise was easy. Hermione magically expanded her room, shielded it, and turned it into a laboratory. She again borrowed all the PADDs she had read before, and more. She got hold of a few documents about the Starfleet Academy, and an idea started to blossom in her mind. And because she was Hermione Granger, she copied the texts of her borrowed PADDs and put them in the books she had transformed from random things. But the joy of having her own library was short lived – transformed things didn't last long. She could do a lot of things with magic, but if there wasn't blood or other stabilizing ingredients involved, everything was back to normal after a few days. After the second time that she accidentally returned everything she had transformed back to its original form because of a sloppily directed "Finite Incantatem", she realized that she had to make Captain Kirk like her enough to provide her with a bigger room and a permission to go planet-side the next time they stopped at a planet with a wizard embassy.

There seemed to be an emergency every other day. By the fourth time the red lights were blinking, officers were sprinting through the hallways and the ship was slightly shaking, Hermione didn't even flinch anymore. She didn't storm out of her quarters with the intention to demand of the first officer in sight to tell her what was happening. She learnt that usually, whatever obstacle the starship encountered was next day's lunch topic, and since during meals she mostly sat alone in a corner, all she had to do was to listen to the gossip. The Enterprise and its crew seemed invincible. Yes, people got hurt, but there were very few casualties. After an emergency, Hermione caught herself thinking about the doctor: Were many injured? Was the sickbay in chaos, and could he manage it? Was he overworked, or did he care so much about others that he didn't care about himself? But then she reminded herself that Doctor McCoy was a grown man and none of her business. He could take care of himself. After all, he had done this job for years, long before she had even shown up.

Since everyone was always busy on the Enterprise, Hermione suspected that the captain had simply forgotten about her. But every time she took a step out of her quarters, she was reminded that this wasn't the case – one young redshirt was assigned to accompany her, and she was never left a minute alone while roaming the ship. But that didn't let Hermione stop her. She had work to do.

oOoOoOo

Leonard had work to do. He had put in overtime the whole week since an endless stream of patients flooding his sickbay every day prevented him from leaving on time. Additionally, Kirk was a pain in the arse.

"You just work so you don't have to think," the annoying kid said. "You do know that there are enough competent doctors to cover you, do you?"

The captain leant on the wall. He had a bottle of whisky under his arm, with which he tried to lure Leonard out of his office.

"And you're begging for your long overdue allergy shots," Leonard grumbled. He hit the button that closed the door. Then he pressed another one to make it turn opaque so he didn't have to see Kirk's grinning face anymore.

Finally, silence. Leonard sighed and let his head fall on the table. Admittedly, he didn't handle feelings well. For him it was all or nothing, and he strongly preferred nothing. But every time they went for lunch together, sooner or later a head with impossibly curly hair appeared, and Leonard had to take his leave lest he did something overly stupid. Naturally, that damn kid knew.

The next day, Uhura told an episode about a translator who always said "my buttocks" instead of "myself", when the Granger girl walked in.

"You stalk her," Kirk accused him, and Leonard guiltily dropped his eyes.

"I don't stalk," Leonard argued. "I'm a well-bred Southern gentleman."

Kirk snorted. "Of course. You want to come to my office tonight and listen to what Henley has to say?" He asked. "He makes a report every evening. I know you have some sort of trust issues. Judging by what she's doing all day, she either wants to destroy the ship or actually… help?"

Leonard didn't know if he wanted to hug or strangle Jim.

"Or she's just insanely curious. You'll be there?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Leonard said.

"Stalker!" Jim sang.

oOoOoOo

"So, how does this exactly work?"

Behind her, Hermione heard the redshirt sigh. Well, it wasn't her fault that he had to follow her everywhere she went. Scotty (not Mr. Montgomery Scott, she reminded herself - Hermione had still troubles using his nickname) beamed. He was the teacher everybody (okay, maybe only Hermione) had always dreamt of: He was enthusiastic, he was a genius, and if you didn't understand something, he was happy to explain it again and again. Hermione had spent the whole afternoon here, and they had made about twenty meters of progress. At first she had felt bad about occupying the time of the Enterprise's chief engineer, even though he himself had offered to teach her how his kingdom worked. But by now she had come to the conclusion that maybe, he didn't mind because it was a rare occurance for him to talk to somebody who was actually interested in what he said.

"The second something hurts my baby, I'm out." Scotty had said. "You know, I'm the one who knows her best. But until then, I'll show you everything you want."

It seems Scotty had underestimated Hermione's thirst for knowledge. There were thousands of buttons, pipes and mechanisms working together, and Hermione didn't do things by half-measure. So Scotty talked and talked and talked, and Hermione absorbed all the new facts. Of course she simultaneously wrote it all down on a PADD so she wouldn't forget anything. Except for the continuing sighs from behind, it was a lovely afternoon.

"Hey, Scotty!"

Hermione jumped at the voice.

"I'm here, doctor," Scotty called back. Hermione craned her neck, and finally she saw a form emerging from behind a giant water tank, fighting his way through the narrow and crowded place.

"Not my damn job to fetch people," Hermione heard Doctor Leonard McCoy mutter as he was closing up. "Kirk called you five times!" He barked at Scotty.

"I haven't heard anything," Scotty lied with an innocent face. Only minutes ago, Hermione had witnessed him turning his communicator to mute because it hadn't stopped ringing. Wisely, she held her mouth shut. "It's loud down there. And I've been busy. Everything works just fine, so I don't think it's an emergency."

The doctor snorted, then his eyes fell on Hermione. "Damn," he said and straightened. "I'd ask what you're doing here, but since you're a little witch and there seems to be no escape from your presence on this ship, I'd rather not."

Hermione choked a little bit, and the doctor raised his eyebrows. After a few moments it became apparent that Hermione had no reply to this, so Doctor McCoy turned to Scotty.

"There seems to be a problem with the motion detectors," he explained gruffly. "I've already had two patients run against the door to my office, and the elevator to the bridge also seems to have a bug or something, you're the technician. I would recommend repairing my doors first. The kid's in a good mood and I want to keep it that way, he was all sulky after the thing with the droids."

"How is the elevator connected to the Captain's mood?" Scotty enquired. At that, the doctor cracked a smile.

"Spock ran into the glass wall."

"Ah," Scotty said. "I take it Commander Spock has ordered the elevator to be top priority then, did he?"

"If you want to know if he's pissed, then yes," the doctor said. "If my dear colleague would admit that he has feelings, that is. But since he insists that he's all logical and stuff, I'd say you repair my motion detectors first."

"Aye!" Scotty saluted.

The doctor looked pleased. Hermione was prepared to leave. Scotty was needed, and her lessons were consequently over. But the doctor didn't take his leave yet, and so she waited anxiously. His comment had hit her quite unexpectedly.

With a deep sigh, he finally turned to her. His expression was grim, and Hermione was frozen like a rabbit caught in the headlights. His hair was tousled, his uniform wrinkly, and he looked like he hadn't slept for ages. He also looked like one of the models Lavender Brown had hung over her bed in Hogwarts.

However, unimpaired by his sleeping habits, his eyes were as sharp as ever. Hermione felt her breath hitch a little bit. What the bloody hell was that about?

"You," he said, then he cleared his throat. "still owe me a favor. Remember?"

Hermione felt the blood rush away from her face.

"Yes?" she said. "Do you... You mean, now?"

"Why not?" The doctor asked suspiciously light-heartedly. "Except if you're not willing..."

Hermione regained her poise. Seriously, her skittishness was unbearable. "I am a woman of my word, doctor," she said. "Of course I hold my promise."

"Well then," the doctor said. He looked her straight in the face. "You and me. Lunch. Tomorrow?"

Hermione gaped. The man rolled his eyes. "I'm a doctor, not a damn poet... And I know I said it's the favor you owe me, but if it's completely appalling for you..."

"No. Yes. Okay!" Hermione quickly said . The doctor checked her from head to toe. Then, without saying another word, he turned around and stalked away.

Behind her, both the redshirt and Scotty whistled.

 **AN** :

 **Guest** : Thank you, and as you see I'm trying to go further :)

 **Concrete** : Thanks

 **Gifty** : YES. I hope I can meet your expectations :)

 **Mad Library Scientist:** Well, Aristotle has been a canonical writer for more than two thousand years now, and I'd like to think that a few hundred years will not change that. Since Hermione's human, I think that a reference to Aristotle is not out of place. Even if she'd be from a galaxy far, far away, she would have learnt about her history and the history of her ancestors on Earth.

 **Daughter of Ironman06** : Thank you, and here you are.

 **Guest** : I don't know who you are, but although there have been a few troubles in my life this year, I'll try to continue the story, even if it takes a little bit.

 **Shadows-Fallen-Angel** : Thank you.

 **BPsycho** : Hah! That's what I wanted to achieve.

 **craaazyaboutMalfoy** : Oh thank you so much. I have this "feel" during writing, and it's great to hear that it comes across.

 **tigersmeleth**

 **fraidycat** : Thanks, and here you are :)

 **cathern**. **cain** : Yes it did! Thank you so much.

 **a reader** : Being an amusement is my way of life. Jk, thanks a lot!

 **northern** **sunstone** : Ok, now you've raised the bar. Hope you like it.

 **FaeBreeze**

 **Scarlet** **Dewdrops** : Yeah, I don't really like those monologues where you're explaining something the reader already knows. I'm glad you liked it.

 **peachx89** : Thanks!

 **kossboss**

 **i love new stories**

 **123a456e**

 **James Birdsong**

 **Emma3mikan**

Thank you all for your support!


	17. Chapter 17

Leonard glared at Henley. Due to privacy reasons, the redshirt sat one table away from them, but Leonard had the feeling that the man could still hear every word they were saying. Guessing from Henley's shaking shoulders and the pained facial expression he was showing, the redshirt desperately tried to stifle his laughter. Leonard had to talk with Jim about that.

"What is it?" Granger asked. They finally had agreed that using their first names made more sense, but somehow, they both avoided it.

Leonard nodded in Henley's direction. "That man is utterly annoying."

Hermione grinned and Leonard was relieved that she found him funny rather than a killjoy.

"You get used to him. He always breathes down my neck, and technically, it's his job. He seems like a gossip, though. I fear the minute I'm doing anything of remote interest, the whole ship is going to know it within a few hours."

The she looked at him, and realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh."

"This is a date, is it?" She asked. Leonard internally squirmed. "And you're a well-known person here."

He nodded. Damn, he was awkward.

"I'm sorry if I cause you inconveniences," she said. "I fear… that you are remotely interesting?" This was his time to shine.

"Don't worry, missy. Facing the gossip is a sacrifice I am willing to make if it means that I get to know you better."

Leonard was proud of himself, but then he saw her face turn beet-red and wondered if he had overdone it. Henley, behind her, giggled.

oOoOoOo

And then, suddenly, their talk went from awkward to awesome.

"God, I'm completely unathletic," Hermione laughed. "I tried the treadmill here on the ship, and I nearly died after twenty minutes."

"You know, running after Jim kept me in good shape," Leonard said. "The kid is always running to or from danger, and if you're not fast enough, he either gets him killed or gets you killed."

"I don't think I could keep up with you. I'm glad there are only a few persons the captain drags with him, and I am not one of them. Just imagine; if some weird space alien thingy came running after me! I'd probably just lie down on the floor and pretend I'm dead."

"Doesn't work with all of them."

Granger tried to look disappointed, but then she had to laugh. Leonard felt his heart beat faster. A few of her wild locks had come loose from the knot on her head, and Leonard noticed how they bounced every time she moved her head. She moved her head a lot, and her hands – her whole body spoke as loudly as her words, and he couldn't imagine that there was one lying cell in the whole human oddity that was Hermione Granger.

Leonard came back to his senses when he realized that she had asked him something, and with an expectant look in her eyes awaited his answer.

"What?" He had to ask stupidly.

"You were right," Granger whispered, with a side look at Henley. "This is not really private." A chattering group of scientists passed them, and she waited until they were out of earshot.

Leonard nodded in their direction. "Lunch time. It's not getting any better, I fear. Pretty soon this room will be crowded with people."

She bit her lip, and for the second time Leonard nearly missed what she said because he was so distracted by it.

"I would… like… to meet you, where there are not so many people around," she said hesitantly. Leonard met her brown eyes, and he felt like falling.

"I do not mean to be unthankful, and maybe you can put a good word in for me… But it would be nice if I wasn't watched all the time, especially when meeting with… people. Maybe, as long as I am with you, or other people on the Enterprise Captain Kirk trusts, Henley can make a break?"

"I will speak to him tonight," Leonard promised. Something in the back of his mind tried to tell him that this was unwise, that he didn't know her, that he should end whatever was happening before it was too late, but he didn't listen. It was illogical, and irrational, but in this very moment, Leonard would have promised her everything she was asking for.

oOoOoOo

Leonard spent the rest of the day in a confused haze. He feared that his state of mind compromised his abilities, and subsequently hid in his office to do paperwork. He kind of hated himself for this and was grumpier than usual.

Of course, when he and Jim met up in the captain's office after their shifts had ended, Jim noticed.

"Last time I saw you that grim was yesterday when I broke my thumb. I didn't hurt myself today, so what's troubling you, Bones?"

"I had a date with Granger," Leonard said gravely.

Jim choked on his whiskey. "Why on earth didn't you tell me that you finally made a move?!"

Leonard rolled his eyes but stayed silent.

Jim raised his eyebrows. "And? What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, tell me about it! Does she hate you, now that you finally spoke with each other?"

"No!" Leonard exclaimed. "I mean except the fact that she only went on a date with me because she owed me a favor, everything was fine. But I can't concentrate on my work like this! This is unbearable!"

Jim's previously concerned face lightened up and he laughed.

"The burdens of love! Oh, poor Bones. It's never right with you, is it?"

Leonard harrumphed. On the one hand, he wanted to hit Jim, but on the other hand, he wondered if his problems were really that silly. There was silence, and it became apparent that Leonard didn't want to reveal anymore, so eventually Jim just sighed and let it be.

"Concerning Miss Granger, you won't believe what she sent me yesterday," he changed topic.

Leonard's head perked up. "What?"

"An application for long-distance, online academical training in the field of physical engineering and warp technology. Combined with an internship on the Enterprise."

Leonard needed a moment to process that. "WHAT?"

Jim let out an exasperated laugh. "Hell, I don't know what to do with that woman either. One day she's arrested, suddenly she develops the means for time travelling, and the next day she wants to become a warp core engineer!"

"Isn't that… kind of impossible?" Leonard asked. "You spend years learning at Starfleet academy before you even set one foot on a starship. And she wants to go down to Engineering and just start working?"

Jim shook his head. "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but she has it all worked out. She even sent me a time table! The second round of Starfleet first and second year final exams is next week, for those who didn't pass them the first time. She wants to take them to determine her state of knowledge. According to what she wrote me, she is pretty confident to pass all of the first year and some of the second year exams due to her academical background. She then wants to continue with online courses and also learn to apply her knowledge. However, I am not sure how to think about the fact that she wants to use the Enterprise as her training field."

Leonard downed his drink. It was always just a little bit too much with that woman – one moment he thought he could deal with her, the next moment she did something completely unexpected.

"Well, I don't see how this could work out. Is working on a starship without proper education even legal? Is what she wants to do legal?"

"Yes," the captain affirmed. "In special cases. And with all those important documents they gave her on Brisbane 21, it could happen that they classify her as a special case."

"And… does Scotty know about it?" Leonard asked.

Jim laughed again.

"Well, you wouldn't believe it. It seems Granger spent a lot of time in Engineering, and I don't know what she did, but she won him over. He was the one who helped her with the application. I really don't know if I should be mad or amazed. I guess I am both?"

Leonard shook his head.

"So… what do you want to do?" He asked. His mind raced.

"I will give her every permission she needs," Captain Kirk said.

"Why?"

"Well, I want to see how she's doing. If she fails all the exams, it will be a lesson. And if she's good enough to pass the exams, and win Scotty over, I want to see where this leads to. I have still the question if she's bold or just stupid. Only one way to find out."

oOoOoOo

 **AN:** To all who took the time to review: Thank you!

 **i love new toys**

 **kossboss**

 **makrosa**

 **Gifty**

 **peachx89**

 **Emma3milkan**

 **jellybean**

 **magandakoi**

 **PappyOldGuy**

 **craaazyaboutMalfoy**

 **skywillow**

 **Sagitarscorpion1** Haha that's definitely one way I can imagine Kirk reacting!

 **Guest** I'm sorry, but to be honest I'm kind of merging all the Star Trek timelines together. So on the one hand, I kind of imagine Kirk, Bones, Scotty and Spock looking like in the 2009 installments, but as you've read there's also the incident with the Tribbles, originating from my love for ToS. I would recommend for the readers to just imagine the versions of the characters they like best.

 **jlove34** such a short feedback, but such a welcome one. Thanks!

 **camath**

 **Via**

 **GoDrinkPinesol624** Soon...

 **Daisx-ST-Fan** Spock is tricky. I've read many fanfictions where I thought that Spock isn't quite on point, and I guess I'm one of those myself now. At least I try. As for the length - I know the chapters are short, but I'm struggling to write anything at all at the moment due to a lot of personal things. But I do hope that people have fun reading the story, and that's all that matters.

 **Yukatana**

 **artemisgirl**

 **Dream of the Night**

 **carryon** oh boy, makes me almost feel bad.

 **Pygmy Hippo**

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 **LeonaMasha** Enjoy!

 **Guest**


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